Since the Russian military forces launched an attack on Ukraine on the 24th of February, Astarta Holding N.V. (”the Company”) had been focusing on the security of its personnel and key physical assets.
The safety of the employees is of utmost priority. Office-based personnel are working remotely from home and shelters while production-based employees perform their duties when it is safe to do so, i.e. during the quiet hours and when the Ukrainian military forces allow to, if close to the combat areas. Many employees had to relocate from homes to other Ukrainian regions, as well as send their families abroad. Some workers had been called into the military reserve and their colleagues are filling the gaps in the workplace.
Astarta continues to deliver grain and sugar from its storage facilities, as well as milk from dairy farms, domestically to its clients and general population. Soybean processing facilities and the biogas plant were idled out of precaution due to the nature of processing technology. The security of the Company’s grain and sugar storage facilities was reinforced. Agricultural subsidiaries perform maintenance routines to be ready for the start of spring planting. Grain exports are currently not possible as the Ukrainian ports have been shut. The country-wide attack brought severe disruption to the logistics infrastructure, especially exports.
In-house agricultural and office IT solutions allow the Company to continue work in current extreme conditions. Astarta spent several years building those. Given its strong relationships with local credit institutions the Company also has access to liquidity as a safety net for the operations and employees.
Astarta is aware of medical and humanitarian aid collected by international organisations for Ukraine, but delivery takes time. Therefore, emergency aid has to be provided by local businesses, including by Astarta. The Company contributes its products such as milk and sugar for “food packs”, which are distributed to the most vulnerable members of society. It provides shelter for displaced people in the Poltava, the Khmelnytskyi and other regions, sponsors psychological support by medical professionals. Astarta’s workers volunteer wherever they are needed on a daily basis.
Those who wish to help can look at ways listed in the “Support Ukraine” by Astarta on its website following the link