OREANDA-NEWS. On 26 February 2008 was announced, that Astarta-Kyiv signed a protocol of intent to acquire two property complexes of sugar plants and control stocks in six agricultural companies in Khmelnytsky region. According to this protocol, the holding is going to acquire:

Volochysky s\p, capacity 3420 tones of  beet per day. In 2007 plant produced 23659 tones of sugar.
Narkevychsky s\p, passport capacity 2350 thousand tones of beet per day. In 2007 plant didn't work.

The company also intends to buy shares in Chartered capital (corporate rights) in the six agricultural enterprises in Khmelnytsky region: LLC "Volochynsk-agro", DE "Avratin-Agro", PE "Agrometa", PE "Agro-Nadra", LLC "SVK "Ranok", LLC "SVK "Nyva". General area of the land under lease by abovementioned enterprises is 8,200 hectares.

It is planned that the deal be completed within 6 months.

CEO of ASTARTA Holding N. V. Victor Ivanchyk commented: "First, buying of productive capacities in Khmelnytsky region will help the Group to diversify climatic risks. Second, it is one more step on the way of increasing Astarta's share in the Ukrainian sugar market. Buying these 2 sugar plants will facilitate the increase of our potential sugar processing capacities to 30% which will help us to strengthen the leading position. We are expecting to produce about 200-220 thousand tones of sugar this season".