Support for Ugandan School Farm
(BUSINESS WIRE)-AGCO, Your Agriculture Company (NYSE: AGCO), a Fortune 500 company and worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, announces the donation of a Massey Ferguson 435 with a disk plow and disk harrow to the Plant-A-Seed Foundation. The non-profit organization will use the tractor to support the Kabale Trinity College (http://plantaseed.org/our-projects-kabale-africa/) in Uganda, Africa. "We are very pleased to donate a tractor for a good cause that makes a positive difference for the students at Kabale Trinity College," said Martin Richenhagen, Chairman, President and CEO of AGCO.
The Plant-A-Seed Foundation, based in Modesto, California, at the 92 year old offices of Stanislaus Implements & Hardware (http://www.stanislaus-implement.com/), has supported the Kabale community since 2003. Plant-A-Seed purchased property and built a chapel and school with classrooms and dormitories. The organization sent teams to assist, plan and build the school, along with additional needed quarters for the staff. Currently, 1,350 students are enrolled at Kabale Trinity College. Most of the students at the school have lost their parents due to tribal wars, political upheaval, AIDS or famine.
In 2007, Plant-A-Seed purchased 20 acres of land and a local farm that produces bananas, pineapples, corn and goats. This farm has improved the children's daily diets and also provides additional income for the operational costs of the school. In 2008, Plant-A-Seed built an irrigation system that has tripled the production of the farm and also gives neighbors the opportunity to purchase water from the farm's pumping resources.
The farm now serves as a school farm where students learn simple farm practices and even supply some food to the local population. The key objective of Plant-A-Seed is to initiate local projects, while empowering community partners to drive their own projects. "Our mission is to search for and then enable creative projects that are inspiring, well planned and will ultimately be self-sustaining," explained Rick K. Gray, President and CEO of Plant-A-Seed Foundation. The Foundation has supported various global projects over the past years.
This Massey Ferguson tractor was shipped to Uganda to be used by the school farm and handed over by representatives of the Plant-A-Seed Foundation yesterday. The tractor will be used for many applications, including tilling fields, moving bricks and dirt, and transporting food to the school and to market. Massey Ferguson tractors have been used in Africa for many decades and the Massey Ferguson 435 is a particularly robust model that can be used in challenging environments.
"We are truly honored and humbled by this extraordinary gift from AGCO. This Massey Ferguson tractor is going to help bring more food to the tables at Kabale Trinity College and also the local communities around Kabale, Uganda. All of us at Plant-A-Seed Foundation thank you from the bottom of our hearts," said Rick K. Gray.
AGCO has over 50 years of experience in Africa. Massey Ferguson(R) is a worldwide brand of AGCO and is a key brand in Africa. For more information about products from Massey Ferguson, visit your local Massey Ferguson dealer or http://masseyferguson.com.
ABOUT AGCO
AGCO, Your Agriculture Company, (NYSE: AGCO), a Fortune 500 company, was founded in 1990 and offers a full product line of tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage equipment, tillage, implements, and related replacement parts. AGCO agricultural products are sold under the core brands of Challenger(R), Fendt(R), Massey Ferguson(R) and Valtra(R) and are distributed globally through 2,600 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries worldwide. Retail financing is available through AGCO Finance for qualified purchasers. AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA, USA. In 2010, AGCO had net sales of $6.9 billion. http://www.AGCOcorp.com
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