One of Germany's largest rapeseed crushers Getreide AG sets branch in Ukraine

In early October, Getreide AG, one of Germany's largest rapeseed crushers, officially opened a branch in Ukraine.

According to the YouControl analytical system, Getreide AG Ukraine was registered in March 2024.

"Before, we were shipping from Ukraine's Black Sea ports. But then the war broke and the ports were blocked. And we started considering with Bjoern (Stendel — ed.) how we could keep working with Ukraine. That's how we came up with the idea to set up a division here and buy from farmers directly. Before the war, we also planned to start processing in Ukraine. We even had a few plans, yet everything was put on hold... We are developing other business models in Ukraine. We have started transporting Ukrainian sunflower oil, for example, which is a new business for us. And we are looking for more business cases," said Thorsten Tiedemann, Chief Operating Officer of Getreide AG, during the presentation of the branch in Ukraine.

Getreide AG Ukraine buys rapeseed from Ukrainian producers for export to its production facility in Rostock. The company is an exclusive representative of Astra Bioplant, a Bulgarian company specialising in the production of vegetable oils, biodiesel, glycerin and meal. Getreide AG Ukraine purchases sunflower oil in Ukraine and delivers it to Chornomorsk, where it is shipped to the Bulgarian plant.

Bjoern Stendel, a former Allseeds Group, Viterra Ukraine LLC and other companies top manager, heads the branch. Kostiantyn Taranov manages trading in Ukraine. The Ukrainian team currently has 5 employees.

"Ukraine needs help not only with weapons and money, but also assistance on its way to European integration. People and their mindset need to be changed. In Europe, a contract is a contract. One cannot say: ‘I'm sorry, it was a mistake’. No, in Europe, you have to do business in a completely different way, and agricultural producers have to be prepared for this. This was also one of the reasons why our company chose to open an office here," comments Bjoern Stendel.

Since early 2024/25, the company has shipped more than 130 thousand tons of rapeseed. Currently, the company is partnering with agricultural producers they are confident in. The list of clients includes such top companies as MHP, Eridon, Astarta, Vilia, Agrosem, NIBULON, etc.