CROP CULTIVATION
Since the mid-1990s the area under cultivation has significantly increased to circa 43,000 hectares of tillable land, vineyards and pasture.
Currently the Interagro Group own and utilise agricultural machinery and transport to the value of approximately 40 million EUR.
The adoption of simplified seeding technology has led to a 60% reduction in operating costs.
Higher yield per hectare with a reduction in costs has resulted from:
- use of high quality seed;
- irrigation;
- application of chemical fertilisers, manufactured within the Interagro Group;
- targeted pesticide and herbicide use:
| YEAR | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tillable land area, hectares | 24.000 | 30.000 | 52.000 | 47.000 | 32.000 | 34.000 | 46.180 |
| YEAR | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tillable land area, hectares | 48.100 | 46.180 | 43.287 | 43.088 | 42.340 | 48.000 | 50.000 |
Average production/ha of principle crops 2000 - 2010 (kg/ha):
|
YEAR Culture plant |
2000 | 2001 | 2002* | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007* | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | 5.700 | 5.700 | 4.500 | 4.500 | 6.100 | 5.000 | 5.010 | 3.001 | 5.076 | 5.300 | 6.200 |
| Barley | 6.300 | 6.200 | 4.600 | 4.800 | 7.060 | 2.910 | - | 5.041 | 6.125 | 6.800 | 6.400 |
| Sunflower | 2.000 | 2.100 | 1.800 | 2.600 | 2.800 | 2.500 | 2590 | 1.800 | 2.433 | 2.580 | 3.200 |
| Corn | 7.200 | 7.000 | 5.600 | 5.800 | 9.700 | 7.393 | 4.794 | 907 | 4.156 | 7.100 | 8.900 |
| Rape | - | - | - | 2.500 | 3.400 | 3.000 | 3.100 | 2.900 | 3.200 | 2.850 | 3.400 |
Note: * drought periods
The cultivated area 2009/2010 consisted of:
- 46,940 ha cereals/oil seeds;
- 342 ha tobacco;
- 137 ha feed grains;
- 365 ha vineyard;
- 216 ha grass;
Future goals:
- the expanding use of liquid nitrogen based fertiliser (UAN);
- the adoption of larger scale agricultural machinery e.g. ploughlines;
- expansion of the use of GPS guided equipment;
- the trialling of new planting methodologies e.g. ammonia bed sowing