The operation results of Astarta agroindustrial holding improved in all business segments in 2016, the company’s press service reported.
Astarta’s plants increased sugar production by 42% in 2016/2017 agricultural year (September-August), to 505,000 tons YoY. Gas consumption per ton of sugar beet fell by 4%, to 25,100 cubic meters. In 2016 the company exported a record-breaking amount of sugar – over 186,000 tons.
Milk production in 2016 rose by 3%, to 106,000 tons thanks to an increase of efficiency per cow. The company started building a fodder center in Poltava region to increase efficiency of the herd. It is planned to develop the project of a milk cooperative on the basis of the fodder center and the heifer complex of Astarta.
Grain and oilseed harvest in 2016 increased by 15%, to 910,000 tons, sugar beets – by 37%, to 2.6 million tons. Average sugar beet yield in the company grew to over 57 tons per ha. A pilot sugar beet irrigation project in Poltava region was effective: 81 tons per ha. The project will be expanded in 2017.
Globyno soybean processing plant increased production of soybean meal by 8%, to 158,000 tons, soybean oil – by 14%, to 38,800 tons and granulated husk – by 17%, to 11,700 tons.
Biogas production at the biogas complex in Globyno (Poltava region) increased to 15 million cubic meters (43%). Astarta also initiated the first stage of cogeneration of ‘green’ electricity from biogas.
“We are satisfied with the operation results of last year. Plans for 2017 are the further growth in all segments where the company operates. The company focuses on the increase of efficiency and production volumes, integration of IT solutions into business processes and boosting elevator capacities,” Astarta CEO Viktor Ivanchyk said.
Astarta is a vertically integrated agro-industrial holding, uniting six regional divisions in Poltava, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky, Ternopil, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv regions. They include nine sugar factories, agricultural farms with a land bank of about 250,000 hectares and dairy farms. The holding also has a soybeans processing plant in Poltava region (Globyno processing plant). (Interfax/Business World Magazine)
