Spring planting completed
Alpcot Agro AB (“the Company”), the owner and operator of farmland and agricultural operations in Russia and Ukraine, reports the completion of the spring campaign and the total cropped area for harvest in 2013.
The Company has this week successfully completed the spring planting campaign under satisfactory conditions. The total area of commercial crops for harvest in 2013 covers 128,900 hectares, as compared to 126,000 hectares harvested in 2012 reflecting a modest rise in actual hectares but a considerable improvement in the quality of planting. A breakdown between crops and regions is found in the table below.
Hectares cultivated with sunflower, which historically has been one of the Company's most profitable crops, have increased by 30 per cent at the expense of some less profitable grains.
Spring arrived comparatively late this year. The weather conditions during the early part of the spring field works were dry across the Company’s operations in Central Russia and in Western Ukraine, but the second half of May has seen good levels of rain. The harvest is scheduled to begin in the beginning of July.
| Cropped area 2013, by crop and region, hectares | ||||
| Crop | Russia -Central Black Soil Region | Ukraine | Russia - Kaliningrad | Total |
| Winter planted crops | ||||
| Winter wheat | 24,500 | 14,600 | 1,900 | 41,000 |
| Winter rape | - | 14,000 | 1,400 | 15,400 |
| Winter barley | - | 4,300 | - | 4,300 |
| Spring planted crops | ||||
| Sunflower | 16,000 | 8,400 | - | 24,400 |
| Corn / Maize | 3,300 | 8,300 | - | 11,600 |
| Barley | 8,500 | - | 2,100 | 10,600 |
| Spring rape | 7,600 | - | 300 | 7,900 |
| Soya | 5,200 | - | - | 5,200 |
| Sugar beet | 1,300 | - | - | 1,300 |
| Other crops for sale | 2,900 | 2,500 | 1,800 | 7,200 |
| Total crops for sale | 69,300 | 52,100 | 7,500 | 128,900 |
| Forage crops | 4,700 | 200 | 600 | 5,500 |
| Total cropped area | 74,000 | 52,300 | 8,100 | 134,400 |
Ulf Scholander, Managing Director, commented
“The late spring shortened the optimal planting window across all our operations. But new machinery and good execution assisted the completion of the planting on time. Recent rains across Russia and Ukraine have been welcome and mean that the April and May dry period should not cause a material yield impact.”
For more information please contact:
Ulf Scholander, Managing Director, +380 (67) 370 42 51
Stephen Pickup, Group CFO, +44 782 529 4352
About Alpcot Agro AB (publ)
Alpcot Agro invests in farmland and produces agricultural commodities in Russia and Ukraine. The Group aims to generate an attractive return on invested capital by optimally utilizing its agricultural land bank through crop production, livestock and related operations. Shares in Alpcot Agro are listed in Sweden on the Nasdaq OMX First North exchange under the ticker ALPA and the Group’s Certified Adviser is Remium Nordic AB.