Cherkizovo Group, the largest vertically integrated meat and feed producer in Russia, continues work on its 2017 harvest campaign.
The group has already harvested more than 109,000 hectares, equal to 64 percent of the total crop area. The harvested volume exceeded 465,000 tons, while the average yield on cereals increased by 17 percent compared with the target level, and amounted to 4.8 tons per hectare.
Around 270,000 tons of winter wheat has been harvested, nearly twice the 2016 yield (140,000 tons). Winter wheat is a promising crop in the group’s crop production strategy, as evidenced by the increase in the share of winter wheat in the 2018 crop structure. The area under this crop for 2018 has increased by 10 percent to 55,000 hectares.
In addition, more than 82,000 tons of spring wheat and 45,000 tons of barley have already been harvested this year. Yields for spring wheat were 23 percent higher than planned. This resulted in 4.0 tons per hectare as harvested volume doubled. For 2018, it is planned to increase the area under this crop by 41 percent, as well as harvesting volume by 35 percent. For barley, the yield is higher than the budget by 20 percent at, 3.8 tons per hectare.
Harvested winter rye amounted to 164 tons, with 5.3 tons per hectare. Harvesting volume for peas amounted to 38,000 tons, an increase by 43 percent compared with last year. The yield was higher than budgeted by 22 percent with 3.2 tons per hectare. The area under barley and winter rye will be reduced and land redistributed in favor of more productive crops.
Active soybean and sunflower harvesting is now in progress. The bean harvest is forecast at 33,000 tons, while the production of oilseeds is expected to reach 49,000 tons.
The acquisition of NAPKO and expansion of the sow areas allowed the group to expand its sowing area. As a result of this transaction, Cherkizovo Group increased its agricultural land bank by 147,000 hectares, with new land located in Lipetsk, Tambov and Penza regions.
