Nibulon JV LLC, one of the largest grain market operators in Ukraine, has completed the sowing campaign of winter crops on 16.1 thou hectares, the grain trader’s press service reported on its Facebook page.
According to the report, Nibulon planted 8.6 thou hectares of winter wheat and 7.5 thou hectares of winter rapeseed. These crops are mainly concentrated in Mykolaiv region. According to the development strategy for the agricultural sector in 2024, the area under rapeseed has almost tripled, while winter wheat has decreased by 20% compared to the previous year.
The expansion of rapeseed acreage is due to the high profitability of this crop, which makes it economically attractive even in a changing climate, the agricultural holding explained.
Nibulon noted that in the 2024 season, the agricultural division of the agricultural holding had to take into account unfavorable weather conditions and adjust its work: for the second year in a row, sowing was carried out in dry soil, and the seeds were “preserved” in anticipation of favorable weather.
“In such circumstances, there are risks of provocative precipitation that causes seed germination but is insufficient for plant development and can lead to its death. Thus, we lost and had to reseed part of the rapeseed. But despite these circumstances, the vast majority of seedlings survived, developed and are going into winter in a satisfactory and good condition,” said Oleg Veselov, Director of Agricultural Production at the agricultural holding.
According to him, the situation was resolved by the company’s water-saving tillage technologies, which improved the quality and economy of crops even in conditions of drought and limited access to moisture.
Nibulon JV LLC was established in 1991. Prior to the Russian military invasion, the grain trader had 27 transshipment terminals and crop reception complexes, capacity for simultaneous storage of 2.25 million tons of agricultural products, a fleet of 83 vessels (including 23 tugs), and owned the Mykolaiv Shipyard.
“Before the war, Nibulon cultivated 82 thousand hectares of land in 12 regions of Ukraine and exported agricultural products to more than 70 countries. In 2021, the grain trader exported the highest ever volume of 5.64 million tons of agricultural products, reaching record volumes of supplies to foreign markets in August – 0.7 million tons, in the fourth quarter – 1.88 million tons, and in the second half of the year – 3.71 million tons.
Nibulon’s losses due to Russia’s full-scale military invasion in 2022 exceeded $416 million.
Currently, the grain trader is operating at 32% of capacity, has created a special unit to clear agricultural land of mines, and was forced to move its headquarters from Mykolaiv to Kyiv.
