Astarta, a large Ukrainian farming holding, is planning in 2009 to increase sugar beet harvest by 12.2% compared to 2008, to 1.75 million tonnes, according to a press release of the company.
The holding's farms have completed harvesting early grains, collecting 222,000 tonnes of grain from an area of 59,000 hectares.
The holding is planning in 2009 to harvest over 360,000 tonnes of grain and oil-bearing plants against 393,000 tonnes in 2008.
Astarta is a vertically integrated holding focused on sugar production as well as the cultivation, processing and trade of agricultural products. It incorporates six sugar refineries and over 60 farming businesses. The company's production assets are concentrated in Poltava, Vinnytsia, Ternopil, and Khmelnytsky regions.
Astarta Holding N.V., the controlling shareholder in Astarta, conducted an initial public offering on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in August 2006.
