Ukraine's Agrotrade completes spring sowing campaign, plants peanuts for first time

MOSCOW. June 5 (Interfax) - The large Ukrainian agricultural holding Agrotrade has completed its spring sowing campaign, allocating more than 30,000 hectares for spring crops, Ukrainian media reported, citing a statement on social media from the group's press service.

Favorable weather in early spring allowed the holding to begin sowing in March instead of April as in previous years, the statement said. However, subsequently, fieldwork had to be suspended due to precipitation and more equipment was involved than planned once it resumed.

"The delay that arose due to weather conditions did not have a significant impact or impose economic damage, because we foresaw the possible need for additional equipment in advance. As a result, the spring sowing was actually completed ahead of schedule," Agrotrade's Agro-Industrial Department Director, Alexander Ovsyanik said.

The holding allocated 12,520 hectares for sunflower, 8,270 hectares for soybeans, and 6,400 hectares for corn, he said. Spring wheat was sown on 3,750 hectares, and industrial hemp on 230 hectares. In addition, buckwheat and peanuts were sown for the first time.

The Agrotrade group of companies is a vertically integrated holding company with a full agro-industrial cycle (production, processing, storage and trade of agricultural products). It cultivates land in the Chernigov, Sumy, Poltava and Kharkov regions. Core crops are sunflower, corn, winter wheat, soybeans and rapeseed. It has its own network of elevators.