Ukraine: Monsanto joins agribusiness group in rapeseed project

Ukraine's largest agribusiness group, Ukrlandfarming, plans to spend in 2012 about US$100,000 on a winter rapeseed production programme. The programme will be implemented in partnership with Monsanto (USA).

"We already have an agreement and signed contract to start the production programme of cultivating winter rapeseed from the Monsanto selection”, Deputy General Director for Seed of Ukrlandfarming Alexander Goncharov said at the press conference in Lokhvitsa.
 
He also added that the funds will be directed towards the technical equipping of the large seed plant in Vinnytsia region, as well as the purchasing of planting and harvesting equipment. Gonchar said that Ukrlandfarming plans to seed more than 100,000 hectares of winter rape this summer, 20,000 hectares for their own needs, and 80,000 hectares for sale.
 
The new project is important as Ukraine is currently experiencing rape production crisis. According to analysts from the analytical agency "APK-Inform", in 2012/13 MY rapeseed production is expected to decline by 24% compared to 2011 production which was 1.1 million tonnes. The main reasons for this decline will be the reduction of sowing and harvesting areas, as well as yield, which is currently forecast at 16.1 t / ha (compared with 17.3 t / ha in 2011) So, this year Ukraine’s rape harvest will hit a record low for the past 5 years.