IPI appoints new Director

The International Potash Institute, flag carrier for the potash industry, appoints its new Director, Hillel Magen. Mr Magen takes over from Dr Adolf Krauss, who for the past decade has been closely identified with IPI, and who has done so much to win support for the potash industry.

Mr Magen will be no stranger to his new responsibilities at IPI: for the past 10 years he has been active as one of IPI’s Coordinators, most recently in China for six years, and previously for Latin America for two years and India for four years. His activities with IPI have coincided with a continuing role at ICL Fertilisers/DSW Ltd in Israel, where he has combined responsibilities of the Group’s worldwide promotion activities, corporate issues and information management in the Marketing Division. This has included analysis of global issues and trends for the Group.

Born into a farming community, and with a BSc and MSc in agronomy, and Diploma in Advanced Management from the business school at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he has had over 15 year’s of field-based experience. After graduating at the Hebrew University, he served six years with the national extension service, specialising in irrigation and fertiliser use, and developing an awareness of farmers’ needs.

Looking ahead, IPI has identified a number of priorities for the organisation: to continue representing the potash industry in Europe and the Middle east, and to promote the use of potassium in achieving higher crop productivity and so improved returns for farmers, while also preserving crop diversification, and promoting environmental values. Potash, being a vital and indispensable component in the Balanced Fertilization approach, is an excellent example of a nutrient that helps to mitigate ill effects of other nutrients when unbalanced fertilization is practiced. A sustainable yield of high quality crops is a direct response to the judicious use of potassium.

IPI recognises the on-going challenges of today’s agriculture markets, and the strong need to support the research/extension partnership for dissemination of scientific knowledge to farmers. With its strong support from the industry, and through its wide network of coordinators in various regions, IPI will make more accessible the vast fund of knowledge it has created over 50 years of intensive scientific work.

More information from: www.ipipotash.org and ipi@ipipotash.org

26/10/2004