SAEC starts planting 2023 in de-occupied territories of Mykolaiv region

The South Agrarian Export Company (SAEC) has started the planting campaign in Snihurivka district of Mykolaiv region which was occupied by the russian army for months until de-occupied by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in November.

Coriander will be sown first, followed by flax, mustard and millet. Currently, agrarians are working in fields already prepared for the sowing season. In other fields, SAEC is harvesting crops that have not been collected in time due to the russian invasion and occupation of the area.

"In August 2021, we planted winter rapeseed. Emergence was good. The crops were ready for winter. But on 24 February, russia attacked us and occupied Snihurivka district. The rapeseed remained in the field for the whole of 2022," says Yuriy Kormyshkin, the owner of the company.

The russians prevented the company from harvesting, and either destroyed or stole the machinery.

"The branch in Snihurivka district cultivated more than 20,000 hectares of land. All of it was occupied. We lost hundreds of millions of hryvnias," says the head of SAEC.

Despite the start of the sowing campaign in Ukraine, many growers are still considering their cropping plan. Three factors influence their choice: export opportunities, fertiliser and financing availability.