EQS-News

Ekosem-Agrar AG publishes operational information for the 2023 financial year - Seite 2

The increase in production volumes was due to improved operational efficiency of the group's enterprises, which allowed them to maximize their capacity utilization. Also in the first half of 2023, EkoNiva launched production of some types of semi-hard cheese at partner plants due to increased demand. This allowed the Group to utilize the full capacity of the Shchuchye cheese plant to produce premium hard cheeses under its own brand.

EkoNiva's dairy products are available in 70 regions of Russia. Here, the total number of outlets increased by more than 1.5 times over the year to 60,800 at the end of the reporting period (31.12.2022: 39,300). The Group's products are sold in most Russian chains, including Globus, Magnit, Lenta, Perekrestok, Pyaterochka, O'KEY, Auchan and METRO. Also in 2023, EkoNiva continued to expand its own retail network, opening more than 20 branded stores. As of the end of 2023, the group had a total of 76 own outlets under management.

In addition, the Group continued to produce products under the chains' trademarks (STM). Its share in the total turnover of EkoNiva Group remains at 25%.

Overall successful 2022/23 harvest season and start of sugar production

The Group assesses the 2022-2023 agricultural season as successful, despite the weather-related shift in harvest dates in the Voronezh and Ryazan regions. Overall the Group plans to harvest 1.33 million tons of market crops in net weight (2022: 1.18 million tons, +13%). This comprises 690,000 tons of cereals, 140,000 tons of pulses, 62,600 tons of oilseeds and 440,000 tons of sugar beet.

In the reporting period, the group increased the area planted with fodder crops compared to 2022: 985,000 tons of fodder in dry matter (DM) were harvested, compared to 831,000 tons a year earlier (+19%).

In September 2023, EkoNiva launched its own sugar refinery Belsakhar in the Kursk region. Currently, the plant continues to process sugar beet from its own harvest. In addition, the plant receives raw materials from other agricultural producers in the region.

 

About Ekosem-Agrar

Ekosem-Agrar AG, Walldorf, is the German holding company of the Ekoniva Group, one of Russia’s largest agricultural companies. With a herd of more than 235,000 cattle (including over 112,500 dairy cows) and a milk output of 3,440 tons of raw milk per day, the company is the country's largest milk producer. The group controls an agricultural area of approximately 630,000 hectares and is also one of Russia's leading seed producers. The founder and CEO of the company is Stefan Dürr, who has been active in Russian agriculture since the late 1980s and has played a key role in its modernization over the past three decades. In 2009, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his services to the German-Russian agricultural dialogue. The group of companies has around 14,500 employees in nine administrative regions in Russia. Ekosem-Agrar generated a total output of EUR 657 million and EBITDA of EUR 188 million in fiscal 2021.