Ukraine's TAS Agro starts planting sugar beet, aims to double crop area

MOSCOW. April 2 (Interfax) - TAS Agro, the agriculture division of Ukrainian financial and industrial group TAS, has begun spring planting of sugar beet, for which it has allocated about 650 hectares of land this year in the western cluster of Vinnitsa region, Ukrainian media reported, citing a statement TAS Agro posted on social media.

The company plans to plant corn on 18,000 ha, sunflower on 18,000 ha and soybean on 16,500 ha.

"We began the planting campaign at the optimal time, having taken care to buy a sufficient amount of planting material, fertilizer, crop protection agents, fuel and lubricants in good time," the company said.

TAS Agro planted 51,500 ha of crops in 2023, including 24,100 ha of corn, 15,900 ha of sunflower, 11,500 ha of soybean and 300 ha of sugar beet. The sugar beet crop area will therefore be expanded by 120% in 2024.

TAS Agro began growing sugar beet last year "in consideration of food security and the market situation".

TAS Group, which was founded by Sergei Tigipko in 1998, has interests in banking, insurance, pharmacies, agribusiness, industry, real estate and venture capital projects.