Over the course of a year since the launch of the Open Agri platform, the Kernel agricultural holding has attracted approximately 480 small and medium-sized agricultural producers who cultivate more than 255,000 hectares of land; the amount of financing secured through the project has exceeded $16 million, the holding’s press service told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
“Today, farmers need more than just a buyer for their harvest; they need a strong partner who can help optimize costs and minimize risks. At Open Agri, we have combined expertise, financing, and legal protection, as well as practical services for farm development,” the press service quoted Open Agri project manager Igor Kotsel as saying.
It is noted that platform participants gain access to agronomic expertise, laboratory testing, legal and accounting support, as well as financing programs for future harvests.
According to reports, more than 120 farms have already conducted soil analyses and received customized nutrient maps.
“Kernel” plans to expand the project and increase the number of partner farms by the end of 2026, the press release states.
Open Agri is a platform for the company’s collaboration with small and medium-sized agricultural producers.
Kernel previously reported that it has invested 1 billion hryvnia in the development of Ukrainian communities over the past four years. Specifically, as part of the “My Community: Together with Kernel” program, 67 local initiatives have been funded over two years with more than 10 million hryvnia.
Kernel Agricultural Holding is the world’s largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil, Ukraine’s largest grain exporter, the operator of an extensive network of logistics assets, and a leading producer of grains and oilseeds in Ukraine. It is one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine. It is engaged in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products.
According to results for the first nine months of fiscal year 2026 (July 2025–March 2026), Kernel’s net profit decreased by 5% to $208 million, while its revenue increased by 0.4% to $3.092 billion, and EBITDA rose by 1% to $403 million.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS, FARMERS, FINANCING, KERNEL, Open Agri
Agricultural holding Kernel is expanding its presence in the European consumer market: in the Netherlands, just a year and a half after launching its own sunflower oil brand, Bestolie&Kernel, sales have already reached 5.5 million liters, the company’s press service reported on Monday.
“The European market is very competitive and ‘closed’ to new brands. It is dominated by large international FMCG companies and supermarket chains’ private labels. Getting on the shelf is difficult, and staying there is even harder,” the release quotes Serhiy Neroshchyn, director of the marketing and sales department for packaged products at Kernel, as saying.
The company noted that it previously produced oil for the Dutch food distributor Fangoo&Zon Impex under a private label, whereas the launch of its own Bestolie&Kernel brand in 2024 allowed the company to build a complete value chain—from the Ukrainian field to the European consumer.
“Kernel” is responsible for production and quality control at all stages—from seed to finished oil—as confirmed by ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 certifications, while Fangoo&Zon Impex handles distribution in the local market.
Since its launch, the company has also expanded its product range, adding new packaging formats and frying oil for the HoReCa segment.
“Kernel” estimates its share of global sunflower oil exports at 10%. Kernel sells refined sunflower oil in Ukraine under its own brands, “Stozhar” and “Shchedry Dar,” and exports it under its own Kernel brands to 12 European countries, as well as to Jordan, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Guinea, under the Le Blanc and Premi brands in Egypt, the Middle East, and South Asia, as well as under its partners’ private labels.
Fangoo&Zon Impex is a Dutch company specializing in the import and distribution of food products and FMCG goods in the Benelux countries.
Kernel Agricultural Holding is the world’s largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil, Ukraine’s largest grain exporter, an operator of an extensive network of logistics assets, and a leading producer of grain and oilseeds in Ukraine. It is one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine. It is engaged in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products.
According to results for the first nine months of fiscal year 2026 (July 2025 – March 2026), Kernel saw its net profit decline by 5% to $208 million, while its revenue increased by 0.4% to $3.092 billion, and EBITDA by 1% to $403 million.
The Kernel agricultural holding, one of the largest in Ukraine, has increased the size of its land bank by 48% over the past year—to 530,000 hectares—following the acquisition of Enselco Holding Limited (approximately 190,000 hectares) and the sale of a portion of assets comprising leased land in the Kharkiv region (approximately 14,000 hectares) to Agroton Public Limited.
“As a result of the completion of both transactions, the total area of leased agricultural land under the Group’s management reached 530,000 hectares, which is 48% more than in the previous year, further strengthening the Group’s position as the largest agricultural producer in Ukraine,” – according to the consolidated financial report for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 (FY, January–March 2026).
The document notes that “Kernel” has completed the 2026 planting campaign across the entire area of its expanded land bank.
“Unfavorable weather conditions in late winter and early spring forced the replanting of part of the acreage under winter crops. Following these adjustments, corn remains the primary crop, accounting for 48% of the planted area (255,000 ha compared to 172,000 ha last year), which has generally remained unchanged compared to the 2025 crop structure,” the report states.
The group also expanded the areas planted with sunflowers (to 88,000 ha from 46,000 ha) and rapeseed (to 43,000 ha from 3,000 ha), increasing their shares to 17% and 8%, respectively, compared to 13% and 1% in the previous planting season. The area under wheat in absolute terms increased from 94,000 ha to 106,000 ha, while its share in the crop mix decreased from 26% to 20%.
The area under soybeans decreased significantly—from 24,000 ha to 9,000 ha—and currently accounts for only 2% of the total planted area.
As reported, in April 2026, Kernel signed an agreement to acquire Enselco Holding Limited for $348 million. The company comprises an integrated agribusiness with a land bank of approximately 190,000 hectares, a network of grain storage facilities, agricultural machinery, and a rail fleet for grain transportation.
According to the report, an agreement to sell approximately 14,000 hectares of leased land in the Kharkiv region, along with agricultural machinery and a grain storage facility, was signed on May 22.
Kernel Agri-Holding is the world’s largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil, Ukraine’s largest grain exporter, an operator of an extensive network of logistics assets, and a leading producer of grain and oilseeds in Ukraine. It is one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine. It is engaged in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products.
According to the results for the first nine months of 2026, Kernel reduced its net profit by 5% to $208 million, while its revenue increased by 0.4% to $3.092 billion, and EBITDA by 1% to $403 million.
Kernel’s investments in community development over the past four years have reached UAH 1 billion. Recently, the “My Community: Together with Kernel” program has been growing rapidly under a co-financing model: for every hryvnia residents raise through crowdfunding, the company adds another 10 hryvnias, according to a Kernel press release on Wednesday.
“The results for 2026 demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach: communities raised nearly 1 million UAH, which is 46% more than last year. The project is scaling rapidly: while 196 applications were submitted from five regions in 2025, this year there have already been 411 applications from 12 regions of Ukraine,” the agricultural holding noted.
It clarified that over the two years of the “My Community: Together with Kernel” program, the company has funded 67 local initiatives with over 10 million UAH, and communities have raised an additional 1.3 million UAH on their own through the project’s partner, the “My City” crowdfunding platform.
This year, 34 projects were selected as winners, for which the company provided 4.5 million UAH in funding. Among the priorities are spaces for veterans, mental health support programs, accessible sports facilities, and educational projects. Over the next three months, the winners will implement their projects in their communities.
“We see a great demand for the development of our cities and villages even during the war, and our task is to provide local activists with the tools they need. The mechanics of crowdfunding help verify this: if residents are willing to support an idea with even a small contribution, it means the demand is real,” said Lilia Marachkanets, director of the “Together with Kernel” Charitable Foundation, in the press release.
According to her, the main idea is to teach community organizations, schools, municipal institutions, and activists to independently create projects and unite people around shared solutions. “Kernel” also trains local officials to work with international investments and European grants.
Kernel Agricultural Holding is the world’s largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil, Ukraine’s largest grain exporter, an operator of an extensive network of logistics assets, and a leading producer of grain and oilseeds in Ukraine. It is one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine. It is engaged in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products.
In the first half of fiscal year 2026 (FY, July–December 2025), Kernel reduced its net profit by 33% compared to the same period last year—to $119 million. Consolidated revenue amounted to $1.924 billion, which is 1% less than in the first half of FY 2025, while EBITDA decreased by 14% to $247 million.
According to information on the website of the “Together with Kernel” Charitable Foundation, the foundation operates in 12 regions of Ukraine across 190 communities and implements more than 2,000 projects across eight areas.
Agricultural holding Kernel, Ukraine’s largest exporter of agricultural products, has sold the Rotterdam Pearl V bulker, which has a carrying capacity of 55,000 tons, and is considering a complete exit from the shipping business, the holding’s press service reported on Thursday.
According to the report, the vessel, purchased in December 2023, was part of an anti-crisis strategy to ensure exports during a period of charter rate shortages. The stabilization of the maritime corridor allowed the company to shift its strategy toward operational flexibility rather than owning its own fleet. Currently, the holding retains only the MAVKA tanker with a carrying capacity of 13,500 tons for transporting oil.
“We entered the shipping business when freight rates were at their peak and access to vessels was limited. Our own fleet fulfilled its mission: we gained control over the export chain and deep market expertise. Today, the situation has changed, and we are adapting to remain effective,” the agricultural holding’s press service quoted Kernel’s Director of Logistics, Mykola Miroshnychenko, as saying.
The logistics optimization comes amid a recent attack by Russian drones on the port infrastructure in Chornomorsk on the night of May 3. At that time, Kernel’s vegetable oil transshipment terminal sustained significant damage: the destruction of tanks led to a spill of over 1,100 tons of product. The spill was quickly contained, but the company temporarily suspended operations, redirecting flows to partner terminals in Odesa and on the Danube.
As reported, Kernel exported 5.4 million tons of grain during the 2025 fiscal year (FY, July 2024–June 2025). At the same time, the company’s own harvest amounted to 2.3 million tons, while the agricultural holding purchased over 3 million tons of grain (about 60% of the segment’s exports) from third-party producers. Overall, transshipment volumes through the company’s own terminals during this period increased by 36%—to 9.1 million tons.
Before the war, Kernel ranked first in the world in sunflower oil production (about 7% of global production). In 2025, the company accounted for about 10% of Ukraine’s total export revenue. The holding’s share of global sunflower oil exports currently stands at 10%.
For the first time since the start of the full-scale war, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided the Kernel agricultural holding with $45 million in financing for a renewable energy project. The decision was approved by the bank’s Board of Directors and signed during the Ukraine-EU Business Summit in Brussels.
According to a statement from Kernel’s Communications, PR, and GR Department, the total cost of the project is estimated at $86 million. In addition to the EBRD, negotiations are ongoing with other international lenders, and Kernel will finance the remaining investment. The European Union will provide partial coverage of the first-loss risk under the Investment Facility for Ukraine (UIF).
The project involves the construction of a 106 MW solar power plant (SPP) in southern Ukraine and the installation of energy storage systems. The facility is expected to generate approximately 141 GWh of electricity from renewable sources annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 82,500 tons. Once the transmission line is completed, the plant will be integrated into Ukraine’s Unified Energy System (UES) and will supply “green” electricity to the domestic market.
“The development of ‘green’ energy is one of Kernel’s key investment priorities. Today, Ukraine is acutely feeling a shortage of power generation, as large facilities remain vulnerable to attacks. Our response to these challenges is the development of distributed generation, particularly solar and wind power, as well as the implementation of energy storage systems. Connecting new capacity to the power grid is Kernel’s contribution to the stability and energy security of the entire country,” said Kernel CEO Yevgen Osipov.
Overall, Kernel’s strategy involves building a portfolio of green energy projects with a total capacity of up to 600 MW. The expected investment in this area is approximately $400 million.
The Ukraine Investment Framework (UIF) is an investment mechanism under the EU’s €50 billion Ukraine Facility program, aimed at rebuilding and modernizing Ukraine’s economy. Under the UIF, EBRD financing is backed by EU guarantees through the HI-BAR program, which reduces risks for investors and helps attract funding for renewable energy and climate technology projects.
Kernel Agri-Holding is the world’s largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil, Ukraine’s largest grain exporter, an operator of an extensive network of logistics assets, and a leading producer of grains and oilseeds in Ukraine. It is one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine. It is engaged in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products.
