Former majority owner of the Agro-Region agricultural holding and former Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Aivaras Abromavičius will focus on investments in the Ukrainian technology sector and projects related to the future reconstruction of the country after selling the asset to the Kernel group.
“The day after the deal was closed, I already invested in a Ukrainian technology company. I think the corresponding press release will appear in the coming weeks. My wife and I want to remain very active people, so I am not planning to retire. On the contrary, now we must look at those Ukrainian companies that will become critically interesting when large-scale reconstruction begins,” he said during a Business Breakfast at Forbes Ukraine.
According to Abromavichus, shifting focus from the agricultural sector to IT and infrastructure projects is a logical step after almost 20 years of investing in Agro-Region. He noted that the technology market in Ukraine is currently showing high stability, and the upcoming reconstruction will create demand for assets in areas that will ensure economic recovery.
The investor added that despite his exit from agribusiness, he plans to attract foreign capital to Ukraine, focusing on companies with high growth potential.
Details of the new deal in the technology sector are not being disclosed until the investment round is officially completed.
Abromavichus also announced a number of promising areas for investment in Ukraine. He noted that the country has already become a “world champion in agrotech and militech,” so these are the areas to invest in. The businessman paid special attention to infrastructure and noted that although logistics was a step “where everyone wanted to be present,” now, due to falling prices, “it’s a different game.”
In his opinion, investors should focus on assets that will be in demand during reconstruction and software companies.
“I really like technology companies… we should go to Ukraine and look at them,” he concluded.
Aivaras Abromavičius is a Lithuanian-Ukrainian entrepreneur, former Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine (2014-2016) and former Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Ukroboronprom (2019-2020), who was a key partner of the investment company East Capital for a long time. Currently, Abromavičius owns shares in a number of Ukrainian IT startups and technology companies through controlled investment structures, and also has interests in real estate and consulting.
The sale of 100% of the Agro-Region group of companies (shareholders — Aivaras Abromavičius and Lars Erik Hokansson) to Andriy Verevsky’s Enselco group was one of the largest M&A transactions in Ukraine’s agricultural sector since February 2022. The investment company Dragon Capital acted as the exclusive financial advisor to the sellers, while OMP provided legal support. As a result of the acquisition of assets with a land bank of 41,000 hectares in the Kyiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, and Khmelnytskyi regions, the Kernel Group (through Enselco) has increased its total land fund to 550-600 thousand hectares.
The Agro-Region Group is a high-tech integrated business comprising three operating clusters and approximately 200,000 tons of elevator capacity. The company specializes in growing corn, wheat, sunflowers, rapeseed, and soybeans, with an annual harvest of 200,000 tons. According to YouControl, at the time of the transaction, Aivaras Abromavičius owned a controlling stake in the holding (53.6%) through Garna Stockholm Holding AB, while Lars Erik Hokansson’s share was 44.28%. The deal was closed after receiving all necessary regulatory approvals, becoming a landmark investment signal for the industry amid martial law.
The Ukrainian agricultural sector is faced with the need to implement EU standards, which could cost the industry up to €2.5 billion annually, but at the same time opens up strategic opportunities for integration and strengthening Ukraine’s role in global food security, said Andriy Dykun, chairman of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council (AUC).
“Calculations show that the introduction of European eco-standards will cost the Ukrainian agricultural sector approximately €2.5 billion per year, which amounts to €70-150 in additional costs per hectare. We must incorporate these standards into our legislation. And at the same time, no one is even talking about giving Ukraine subsidies,“ the association’s press service quoted him as saying at the conference ”Agribusiness in Ukraine.”
He added that environmental standards are currently under pressure in Europe itself.
“It is important to understand that these standards are not yet a certainty in the EU itself. European farmers are also under a lot of pressure, and their green course is constantly changing,” Dykun noted.
After unification, Ukraine and Europe together will be the largest food producer in the world.
“We are the only country that will join the EU with agriculture better than in any other EU country — we are coming in with a high level. But we must unite with Europe not with an “outstretched hand,” but as an equal partner, which together with the EU will become the world’s largest food producer. This needs to be worked out professionally,” the VAS chairman concluded.
Let’s track the prices as of the end of June 2025 for the main grain and oil crops exported from Ukraine, as well as fluctuations in their value on the world market.
The price of wheat (France, FOB) was 235 USD/t, according to market operators on June 25, 2025. This is 1 USD less than last week, 6 USD more than the previous month, and 3 USD more than the previous year. The price of wheat (Ukraine, 2nd grade, CPT) for the central regions (June 26) was 192 USD/t. This figure remained unchanged during the week, decreased by 15 USD over the month, and increased by 45 USD over the year. For ports, the amount was 206 USD/t, which is 3 USD less than a week ago and 18 USD less than a month ago, but 19 USD more than a year ago.
According to the International Grains Council, the price of corn (USA, FOB) as of June 25 was 192 USD/t. This is USD 8 less per week and USD 16 less per month, but USD 3 more per year. The price of corn (Ukraine, CPT) on June 26 for the central regions was USD 204/t. It did not change during the week, but decreased by USD 4 per month and increased by USD 73 per year. For ports, it was 216 USD/t (also unchanged from the previous week, down 16 USD from the previous month, and up 3 USD from 2024).
“Let’s pay attention to the forecast for global corn production in 2025/26 MY. It has been reduced by 1 million tons to 1,276 million tons, compared to 1,225 million tons in the current season. However, the forecast for global consumption has been increased by 1 million tons to 1,269 million tons. Therefore, the estimate of final corn stocks has been lowered by 2 million tons (to 282 million tons). This will exceed the current season’s figure by 7 million tons,” said grain market analyst Alexander Korenitsyn.
As for the price of barley (France, FOB) as of June 25, it stood at USD 216/t. This is USD 6 less than a week ago and USD 5 less than a month ago, but USD 11 more than a year ago. Let’s analyze the price changes for barley (Ukraine, CPT). As of June 26, the price was (central regions) – 171 USD/t. This is 3 USD more per week and 46 USD more per year, but 30 USD less per month. For ports, the price is 188 USD/t, which is 6 USD more per week, 40 USD more per year, but 2 USD less per month.
Prices for major grain and oil crops exported from Ukraine, end of June 2025
According to Oleksandr Serhiyovych Korenitsyn, the price of sunflower seeds in the EU (Rotterdam, FOB) as of June 25 was USD 655/t. The changes are as follows: +5 USD per week, -14 USD per month, and +170 USD per year. The price of sunflower seeds (Ukraine, CPT) on June 26 (central regions) was 509 USD/t. This is 8 USD less per week and 16 USD less per month, but 109 USD was added to the price per year. For ports, the cost is 507 USD/t. The price fell by 6 USD per week and rose by 9 USD per month and 148 USD per year. A ton of sunflower oil (Ukraine, FOB) costs 1,111 USD as of June 26.
The cost increased by $8 per week and by the same amount per month.
The calculation of price fluctuations for soybeans is based on its cost as of June 25 (Brazil, FOB) – $420/t. It decreased by $10 per week and by $16 per year, but increased by $15 per month.
“The price of soybeans (Ukraine, CPT) in the central regions was 349 USD/t on June 26, which is 8 USD less than a week ago, 4 USD less than a month ago, and 23 USD less than in 2024. The price for ports is 368 USD/t. It decreased by 14 USD, 13 USD, and 10 USD over the week, month, and year, respectively,” said analyst Alexander Korenitsyn.
The price of rapeseed (France, FOB) on June 25 was $557/t. Price changes: down $9 per week, up $7 per month, and up $55 per year. The cost of rapeseed (Ukraine, CPT) on June 26 for central regions is 497 USD/t (up 106 USD per year), for ports – 531 USD/t (up 110 USD per year).
agricultural sector, COST, DOLLAR, EXPORT, HARVEST, Oleksandr Korenitsyn, PORT, PRICE, SOYBEANS
Bosnian investment group ASA Group has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Zito Backa flour mill in Kula, Serbia. This was stated in the company’s official press release published on Friday.
According to ASA Group, the deal makes its subsidiary ASA Trading a leader in Serbia’s grain sector in terms of grain trading volume, storage capacity, and processing capacity.
“This is a logical continuation of our expansion strategy in key sectors of the region. Zito Backa has more than a century of tradition, reliable quality, and infrastructure that matches our international ambitions,” said ASA Group CEO Eldin Hadzislimovic.
The company emphasized that it is building on its previous experience in asset integration, including the purchase of the Zitoprodukt mill in Bačka Palanka in 2018. According to ASA Group representatives, the new acquisition will complement the ecosystem in the consumer goods segment and strengthen the group’s export potential in Southeast Europe.
In addition to the grain sector, the holding company is actively developing projects in other industries, including date and vegetable oil production in Morocco and Turkey, as well as renewable energy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (solar power plants in Bosanski Petrovac).
Zito Backa is one of Serbia’s oldest flour milling companies. It was founded over 100 years ago. In 2013, the plant in Kula was modernized: capacity was increased to 220 tons of flour per day (in wheat equivalent) and a 50,000-ton grain storage facility was built. The company is known for its high-quality flour and stable supplies to domestic and export markets.
https://t.me/relocationrs/1170
At one of the largest agricultural events in the country, the Agro Ukraine Summit in Kyiv, the AgriAcademy.org platform was presented, providing free access to professional education for farmers from all over Ukraine. The initiative was presented at three industry conferences during the summit and attracted considerable interest from industry associations, producers, and processors, according to SEEDS.
“Today’s agribusiness requires quick decisions, relevant practical knowledge, and continuous professional development. That is why I would like to draw your attention to one of the most promising initiatives in the field of professional education for agribusiness – AgriAcademy.org. This is a unique educational platform that brings together the agribusiness community of Ukraine and provides modern, practical knowledge in the form of free online courses developed by the best experts from Ukraine and around the world.
It is designed for professionals in the agricultural sector: business owners, managers, farmers, agronomists, veterinarians, and anyone interested in practical knowledge and increasing profitability,” emphasized Rodion Rybchynsky, Chairman of the Ukrainian Flour Millers Association and UN FAO grain market expert, during a panel discussion on “The transformation of grain processing in the context of European integration.”
“The platform already offers 23 free online courses in Ukrainian, developed with the support of the EBRD. Each course has been created in collaboration with leading Ukrainian and international experts, with a focus on practical benefits for business,” said Rodion Rybchynskyi.
AgriAcademy was also presented at the conferences ‘Futurology of Grain Storage’ and ‘Effective Livestock and Poultry Farming,’ which allowed it to reach a wide audience. Each conference was attended by 70 to 150 participants, and a QR code with direct access to AgriAcademy was displayed on the screen every 15 minutes in the Summit exhibition area.
Among the speakers who presented the platform was Oleksandra Bondarska, Vice President of the Ukrainian Pig Breeders Association.
“AgriAcademy offers over 300 hours of training. After completing the course, participants receive an official certificate. It is a tool for the real development of agricultural entrepreneurs,” said Oleksandra Bondarska, speaking to an audience of livestock and poultry farmers.
“The platform offers a course entitled African swine fever – everything a business needs to know. The course covers all aspects of African swine fever (ASF) that need to be known, from risk factors and main routes of transmission to effective prevention and response measures. Participants will learn how the disease develops on an infected farm (experience of affected enterprises), how to reduce risks for their farm, and protocols for action in case of suspicion and after the outbreak has been eliminated,” the expert added.
Oleksandra also advised producers to take the Basics of Pig Health course available on the platform. The course covers issues of animal health support and control throughout the entire production cycle in terms of technological and age groups of pigs and types of diseases, and also includes information on quarantine and the development of herd health monitoring and vaccination programs.
The AgriAcademy platform was also presented by Sviatoslav Tkachenko, member of the board of the Ukrainian Elevator Association, during the conference “Futurology of Grain Storage” to an audience of grain producers, processors, and exporters.
“AgriAcademy offers practical courses in agronomy, irrigation, processing, technology, berry growing, animal husbandry, crop production, veterinary medicine, and ecology:https://agriacademy.org/courses-catalog/
This spring, two courses from specialists at the Astarta-Kyiv agro-industrial holding have been added: Sunflower. Growing Technology and Sunflower. Biological Characteristics of the Crop,” said Sviatoslav Tkachenko.
You can join the free training now at AgriAcademy.org
The courses are designed with the practical needs of the industry in mind and are taught in Ukrainian, ensuring convenience, accessibility, and high learning efficiency. Grow your business with AgriAcademy, your reliable partner in innovation and efficiency improvement!
Source: https://www.seeds.org.ua/
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food and the World Bank plan to expand cooperation in the development of Ukraine’s agribusiness sector.
The agreement was reached following talks between Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Vitaliy Koval and World Bank Managing Director for Operations Anna Bjerde, the ministry’s press service reported.
According to the report, the parties agreed to expand cooperation in three areas: preparing analytical data for decision-making in the agribusiness sector; institutional support for the Ministry of Agrarian Policy with a focus on integration into EU policies and standards; implementation of programs for more than 200,000 small and medium-sized farmers as the basis for Ukraine’s agricultural sustainability.
“Our goal is not only to preserve but also to transform Ukrainian agriculture in line with EU standards and opportunities. And the advocacy platform provided today by the World Bank team in Vienna is actually the key to faster and more successful European integration,” Koval emphasized.
In addition, during the meeting with World Bank representatives led by Regional Director for Sustainable Development in Europe and Central Asia Sameh Wahba, the possibility of deepening cooperation in the field of irrigation was discussed. In particular, they talked about restarting the irrigation system development plan to get help in more regions of Ukraine.
