Контінентал почав полив на деяких полях Тернопільської області.

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Photo: Continental Farmers Group

“Continental Farmers Group” has initiated the implementation of an irrigation investment project. In the current season, the irrigated area for the first phase totals 202 hectares in the southern part of Ternopil region. By 2027, it is expected to more than double to 420 hectares.

This was announced by the company’s press service.

Currently, “Continental” is using irrigation for the cultivation of seed corn under contract with the originator. The company views this project as a long-term investment and does not rule out the possibility of cultivating other crops under irrigation in the future.

The selection of the project’s location is influenced by the logistics of water intake and the unstable nature of natural moisture supply to fields in the Dniester region.

According to Kostiantyn Shytiuk, Operational Director of “Continental Farmers Group,” the issue of irrigation is becoming increasingly relevant for the western part of Ukraine, where such practices were not common.

“Our region has always been considered an area with sufficient moisture and uniform precipitation distribution throughout the year. However, the situation has changed, and recently we have observed a sharp shift in natural climatic zones. Consequently, the risks of crop failure due to drought during critical plant development phases are becoming too high, while the demand for high-margin and capital-intensive crops, which require guaranteed and constant moisture supply, is growing. This includes, in particular, seed corn, which is why seed originator companies working with hybrid corn require that seed material be grown exclusively under irrigation with strict adherence to technological protocols,” comments Kostiantyn Shytiuk.

As noted by the company, the creation of its own irrigation infrastructure serves a dual economic purpose: to ensure high-margin production on designated areas and to gain access to a buyback program, which offers an additional discount on seed purchases within the framework of cooperation with the originator.

The capital expenditures for the irrigation project implementation amount to approximately $2.5 thousand per hectare. For irrigation, “Continental” employs classic American-made circular sprinkler machines with remote control, purchased for both phases of the project.