BEIJING, March 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Yongye International, Inc. (Nasdaq: YONG) ("Yongye" or the "Company"), a leading agricultural nutrient company in China, today announced that the Company has partnered with Stanford University to jointly develop innovative programs to help address rural poverty, education, nutrition and health issues in China. Mr. Zishen Wu, Yongye's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Coit D. Blacker, Director of The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, signed the partnership agreement on the university's campus on February 25, 2011.
The first joint project, which will be lead by Stanford University's Rural Education Action Project ("REAP"), plans to address anemia issues among young students in rural areas in some of the poorest counties in China by experimenting with innovative communication programs to parents and teachers and providing basic vitamins. According to preliminary data from REAP, between 20% and 30% of school age children in rural areas in China have anemia, with parents and teachers generally unaware of the situation and its impact on health and school performance.
"We are truly honored to have this opportunity to partner with Stanford University to address these important issues in rural China," commented Mr. Wu. "Helping address poverty and related issues in rural areas in China is a central mission and key motivator for our Company. We are impressed by REAP's innovative approaches and are committed to supporting this important initiative. We also believe that our over 24,000 independently owned branded stores in 745 counties across China can be an excellent platform to help this project succeed."
Mr. Blacker commented, "It is particularly meaningful for us to collaborate on rural issues in China with Yongye International, a Chinese agriculture company listed on the NASDAQ. We appreciate the support Yongye is providing to our REAP program and are excited about the potential of improving the REAP program results by leveraging Yongye's vast distribution network across rural areas in China."
About Yongye International
Yongye International is a leading agricultural nutrient company headquartered in Beijing, with its production facilities located in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China. Yongye produces and markets two lines of organic nutrient products: a liquid nutrient product which is sprayed on plants and a powder nutrient product which is added to animal feed. Both products are sold under the brand name "Shengmingsu," which means "life essential" in Chinese. The Company's patented technologies and formulas allow it to create products that increase crop yields and improve the health of livestock. The Company sells its products primarily to provincial or regional level distributors, who then channel those products to a carefully selected network of over 24,000 independently owned, Yongye branded stores or directly to rural farmers and government farms in China. For more information, please visit the Company's website at http://www.yongyeintl.com .
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains certain statements that may include "forward-looking statements." All statements other than statements of historical fact included herein are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects" or similar expressions, involving known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including the risk factors discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these risk factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.
Contact:
Yongye International
Ms. Kelly Wang
Finance Director – Capital Markets
Phone: +86-10-8231-9608
E-mail: ir@yongyeintl.com
Ms. Wendy Xuan – Business Associate
Phone: +86-10-8232-8866 x 8827
E-mail: ir@yongyeintl.com
CCG Investor Relations
Mr. Athan Dounis
Phone: +1-646-213-1916
Email: athan.dounis@ccgir.com
Source: Yongye International, Inc.
