OREANDA-NEWS. August 19, 2011. Last week ASTARTA's agricultural companies finished harvesting early grains. Average yields increased c.27% comparing with previous year and exceeded average Ukrainian yields up to 30%.  In particular, the Group's average yield of wheat was around 4,5 tonnes per ha, winter barley - 3,0 tonnes per ha.

Due to implementation of long-term strategy aimed at application of the optimal crop rotation structure and usage of modern agrarian technologies, yields on "mature" fields were substantially higher comparing with the newly adjoined land. Some agrarian companies of the Group reached record levels of wheat yield - 6,6 tonnes and barley yield  -  4,2 tonnes per ha.

Presently, the subsidiaries of the Group are preparing to the harvesting campaign of sugar beet and technical crops. This year the Company expects harvest of around 2 mln. tonnes of sugar beet and up to 600 thousand tonnes of grains and oilseeds.