OTTAWA, Oct. 29, 2013 /CNW/ - To mark 50 years of the Canadian potash industry and its significant contributions to fueling the Canadian economy, a notable exhibit opened today at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa.
The “Potash: Feeding the World” launch event featured an expert panel discussion exploring Canada’s leading role in potash mining and exporting. “Potash is one of the most important minerals in fertilizer,” said Bill Doyle, President and CEO of Saskatchewan-based PotashCorp, “and Canada’s rich potash deposits are essential to the production of food around the world.” Canada has 46 per cent of global potash reserves and a significant portion of these reserves are found in the Prairie Evaporite Deposit in Saskatchewan.
“This interactive exhibit provides the opportunity for people to learn about the extraction process, the construction of mine sites, and how potash is processed, in addition to examining actual samples of the mineral,” said Mike Wilson, President and CEO of Agrium. “In 2011 Canada exported $6.7 billion worth of potash to countries such as the United States, China, Brazil and India,” said Wilson.
The exhibit invites visitors to take a journey from below the earth’s surface to halfway around the world. Visitors assume various roles, such as a prospector searching for deposits, a scientist examining potash samples, a miner extracting the mineral, or a farmer fertilizing crops.
“Canada produces 32 per cent of all potash production globally, making us the world’s largest potash producer and exporter,” said Rick McLellan, Senior Vice President, The Mosaic Company. “Our industry employs more than 5,000 Canadians, all of whom will benefit from the growing global demand for potash. The work we do is essential to helping farmers grow more food—and help achieve global food security,” he concluded.
#50YearsofPotash SOURCE Canadian Fertilizer Institute
