Astarta Agro Holding finished the spring planting campaign with its planted area under spring crops increasing by 26% over last year’s at 160 Th ha. This was reported by Sokrat Investment Group. So, 43 Th ha was planted to sugar beet, 34 Th ha to soy, 33 Th ha to corn, 13 Th ha to barley, 13 Th ha to sunflower and 25 Th ha to feed crops. Also, Astarta planted winter crops to over 45 Th ha. Roughly 10 Th ha lies fallow and will be sown to winter crops in 2011. In total, according to Sokrat, the company expanded its arable land by 25% in the current marketing year, to 215 Th ha. As of today, Astarta’s land bank amounts to 225 Th ha. The preparation of machinery for harvesting early grains is underway. In 2010, the company boosted its agricultural machinery fleet to 200 units. Please remember that the company’s operating profit (EBIT) more than doubled in 2010, having reached EUR 87.5 Ml.

The EBIT margin ratio rose from 32% in 2009 to 40% in 2010. The EBITDA value increased 106% to EUR 100.7 Ml. The EBITDA margin ratio grew from 38% in 2009 to 46% in 2010. Astarta retained its leading market position in 2010, when it processed 1.56 MMT of beet and made 200 KMT of sugar (about 13% of Ukraine’s total beet sugar output). Compared to 2009, its incomes increased 13% to EUR 50.8 Ml and operating profit went up by 12% to EUR 21.7 Ml. The EBITDA value rose by 10% to EUR 25.4 Ml and net profit by 1% to EUR 20.2 Ml.

UkrAgroConsult