EkoNiva, the largest dairy holding in Russia, has announced the start of spring sowing. The campaign was launched at the enterprises of the Group’s Voronezh subdivision. Preparations for the seeding season are underway on farms in several other regions.

The weather this year allowed farmers to begin field works in the first ten days of March. The season traditionally started in Kursk and Voronezh oblasts where winter crop fertilising was carried out. Later, the enterprises worked on the harrowing of perennials and winter cereals as well as soil tillage before the spring campaign.

Favourable weather conditions in Voronezh oblast enabled EkoNivaAgro-Right Bank operation to begin planting barley earlier than in other regions – in late March. Shortly, other enterprises in the region will initiate the sowing of oats, peas, alfalfa, lentils, winter wheat, a little later – sugar beets and sunflowers. Further, the subdivision plans to grow maize, rapeseed, chickpeas, flax, buckwheat, soya beans, broad beans and other forage crops.

Field works also began in Ryazan, Moscow and Kaluga oblasts. Here, fertiliser treatment of winter crops is underway to supply plants with sufficient nitrogen, helping them strengthen after the cold and enter the active growth stage. Before fertilisation, agronomists analyse numerous factors to determine the optimal nutrient application times and rates.

‘Currently, crop vegetation has started in Kursk, Ryazan and Voronezh oblasts, where the condition of winter crops are in a good condition. Many plantings are at a frost-vulnerable stage – 2 to 3 leaves unfolded – but no losses have been recorded’, says Aleksandr Posukhovskiy, Crop Production Director of EkoNiva Group.

Within two weeks, EkoNiva’s enterprise in Tatarstan plans to start field work. Kursk subdivision is gearing up for sowing spring cereals by early April, the facilities in Ryazan will join shortly after, followed by those in Moscow and Kaluga oblasts.

For the 2025 harvest, EkoNiva intends to allocate over 471,000 hectares of land, including meadows and pastures, across 13 regions. About 209,000 hectares are occupied by forage crops, over 243,000 hectares – by cash crops. Approximately 64,000 hectares are sown with winter crops.