Traditionally, in November, agricultural professionals celebrate their professional holiday – the Day of Agricultural Professionals. This holiday is like a summary of field works which are almost completed at this time. Mr. Volodymyr Vasylovych Siryi, Kusto Agro’s Deputy Director General for Production, told about year 2021 for Kusto Agro, about the challenges it had to face and whether it succeeded in implementing everything planned.

– Volodymyr Vasylovych, has the Company’s operation this year been successful?

– Each year has its specifics making it different from other years. 2021 began with a cold and lengthy spring and it could not but affect the vegetative development of plants. The crops grew slowly, the development phases lagged behind. The abnormal heat in the summer was also a stressful test for the plants. However, the warm autumn was a gift and gave us the most favorable conditions for harvesting. Owing to this, we harvested late cereal crops on time, quickly and with high quality.

As planned, on the eve of the agricultural professionals’ holiday, we completed harvesting of corn and entered final straight with soil tillage. Generally, the Company’s performance this year was professional and efficient.

Kusto Agro is known as an enthusiast of agricultural innovations. What innovations have been introduced this year, and can we talk about the result?

– Every year, the climate urges us to think differently and, therefore, constantly change the production approaches. For example, today soil treatment and plant cultivation is significantly different from what it was in the past. Every year we feel the lack of moisture more and more acutely. This is why we more often use the technology which preserves moisture and delivers it deeper into the lower soil layers, and we partially do land reclamation. This year, we gave a greater focus to deep loosening. We have launched a big experiment by sowing rapeseed on 230 hectares without soil tillage, i.e. using the Pro-til technology. By the way, the young crops are not bad. And at the same time, we got cost savings and moisture savings. Likewise, the Company opted for liquid fertilizers for the first time. We are satisfied with the result. And we plan to use them in the future, since these expensive and high-quality fertilizers have an efficient impact on development of plants in a short time span. Besides, in 2021 we attempted to apply plant protection agents using drones. We made it for different crops and we are equally satisfied with this innovation. In the future, we will use the drones for larger areas. Drones, unlike sprayers, make no damage to plants and, therefore, facilitate a larger harvest. I should admit that this is no cheap pleasure, but since increasingly more of this modern equipment comes to the market, we hope that the price will become more acceptable in the future.

– What is the situation in the fields of the Company today?

– Today we have almost completed soil tillage. After that we will get the equipment stored and repaired so that we can start the spring field works in time in the spring.

– How does Kusto Agro treat the team’s initiatives?

– The Company operates based on the principles of unconditional respect, openness and mutually beneficial partnership. And, as 2021 showed, this process is improved on an ongoing basis. The pandemic has changed and enhanced the team of Kusto people. From now on, we are spending as much time as possible in the fields of the farms where we conduct our activities. This has a positive effect on the spirit of our team and on our production development. Our employees can communicate with management at any time without any impediment and make a proposal for improving our work. Frankly speaking, communication like this facilitates trust and support. We are trying to listen to everyone’s opinion. Rational proposals find a place in the work of our team.

 Kusto Agro was lucky to gather the team of real professionals. They are people who care for the fate of the Company and the land they work on. And this is really gratifying.

– What would you like to wish your agrarian professionals on the occasion of their professional holiday?

– I sincerely congratulate all agrarian professionalsof Kusto Agro, our shareholders, and people whose hearts are forever devoted to our native lands: fields, forests and rivers. People whose hands are busy every day to bring delicious bread to our table. I would like to express my deepest respect and thank everyone whose life is inextricably connected with agricultural industry. I wish you strong health, harmony, inexhaustible energy and further professional achievements! May fields yield abundantly under the peaceful sky, prosperity and well-being prevail in families, and happiness, joy and confidence about the future live in everyone’s heart.