EkoNiva Group has participated in the leading trade fair in Russia’s livestock and forage production industry – Agros 2021 held at the Crocus Expo in Moscow.

The exhibition featured a full range of state-of-the-art technologies, solutions and services for livestock farming. Groundbreaking trends in feed production were high on the agenda of the conference held by the Association of Agricultural Machinery Dealers. The representatives of large-scale farming enterprises and holdings shared their hands-on experience of fodder harvesting, mixing and distribution.

According to Willi Drews, Doctor of Agronomy, EkoNiva Advisor, when it comes to a good forage production system, each aspect is of paramount importance: high-powered machinery, crops and varieties, farming practices and the time of harvesting.

‘For instance, the optimum period for alfalfa cutting lasts from the late-bud to the first-flower stage’, continues Willi Drews. ‘At this point, the protein content amounts to 210 g per a kilogram of dry matter. When harvested at the full-bloom stage, it contains 50 g less protein. It is through close monitoring by the agronomists and efficient operation of high-performance machines that no time is wasted.’

EkoNiva-Tekhnika is always ready to offer its clients a wide range of equipment for all stages of feed production: forage harvesters, mowers, tedders, windrowers, balers, grinders, feed mixers, mixer wagons and a lot more. For the first time, the dealer exhibited a few compact machinery units right at the corporate booth. Immediately, the JCB 155 skid steer loader made a popular photo spot for the visitors. Designed specifically for working in limited spaces, the equipment is an ideal option for enterprises requiring a dependable farmhand with high manoeuvrability. Despite its modest dimensions, the machine is built tough to handle any application. The rated operating capacity of a JCB 155 exceeds 700 kg. The John Deere X127 ride-on mower also grasped visitors’ attention. The unit featuring automatic transmission and a powerful engine with an infinite choice of ground speeds was sold on the very first day of the showcase.

EkoNiva-Semena updated the attendees on the novelties and advanced technologies in seed production. The company representatives shared their professional expertise and provided recommendations on the selection of plant varieties and agritechnologies.

The company delivers seeds across 65 Russian regions, from Krasnodar area to Amur oblast. EkoNiva-Semena has branches in ten regions of Russia; its specialists are always there to offer the best seed material for your farm.

‘So far, the Year 2020-2021 has seen a dramatic increase in sales – by 70 per cent as compared to the previous year’, states Yevgeniy Kucheryavenko, EkoNiva-Semena Executive Director. ‘The sales of over 76,000 tonnes of seeds have been reached through an expansion of the sales territory and the seed portfolio, which is tailored to the specific needs of farmers from virtually all the regions of Russia.’

EkoNiva-Semena portfolio comprises 73 varieties and hybrids, thereof 4 varieties developed under the in-house breeding programme – winter wheat Cepheus, EN Taygeta, EN Albireo and soybean cultivar EN Argenta. Their genetics ensures high and stable yields due to the resistance to stressful biotic and abiotic environmental factors.

EkoNiva-Semena customer base accounts for over 3,000 farmers from Russia and neighbouring CIS countries. This year, the company has expanded its sales territory.

‘Our seeds are now grown in the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Chechen Republic, Kalmykia and Zabaykalye’, continues Yevgeniy Kucheryavenko. ‘Spring and winter wheat, barley and soybeans are in the highest demand. This year, their sales have skyrocketed from 38 to 90 per cent, with the most pronounced growth seen in the Siberian, Southern and Volga federal districts.’

Each exhibition day, the attendees of Agros 2021 trade fair were taking part in the tasting sessions of the dairy under EKONIVA brand. The tastings featured hard and semi-hard cheeses produced at the new processing plant in Shchuchye village, Voronezh oblast. The signature creamy flavour and delicate aroma of the cheeses became a true highlight of the visits to the EkoNiva booth.

By Tatyana IGNATENKO