Astarta issues 2009 harvest campaign update

Astarta (AST PW) said in a press release late last week that it has already harvested 17.5 ths ha (30% of planted area) as of July 22; it began its early grain harvest at the beginning of July. Astarta reported that its gross harvest is 77.6 ths mt; average yield – 4.4 mt per ha. At the same time last year, the sugar producer reported that it had only gathered 42.7 ths mt, with an average yield of 4.2 ths mt. According to the Ministry of Agricultural Policy of Ukraine, the average Ukrainian yield is 2.7 mt per ha.