Astarta Holding PLC, a leading Ukrainian agro-industrial group, secured permission from the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) to acquire control over two agricultural enterprises, according to the company’s statement.
The authorization granted by the AMCU to Astarta’s Cyprus-based subsidiary, Ancor Investments Limited, covers the potential acquisition of LLC Enterprise “Vidrodzhennya” and LLC “Orion Moloko.”
If the transaction is completed, it would grant Astarta decisive influence over the assets of these firms, which primarily consist of land lease rights for arable land situated near the holding’s facilities in central Ukraine’s Poltava region.
The company said submitting to the AMCU was a procedural step to allow further review of the deal, adding that the final deal is still pending and that no definitive agreement has been reached.
Astarta said it will provide further updates in accordance with its disclosure obligations as the evaluation continues.
About the local firms
According to the Ukrainian business analytics platform YouControl, both enterprises share a similar ownership structure.
LLC “Orion Moloko” is primarily owned by Cyprus-based Edenpark Holdings Limited and the US-registered Agro 1 LTD, with a minor stake held by Digicont LLC (USA). The ultimate beneficial owners are a US citizen, Sara Peres, and an Israeli citizen, Marina Segal.
Similarly, LLC Enterprise “Vidrodzhennya,” which specializes in the cultivation of cereals, legumes, and oilseeds, is owned by Edenpark Holdings Limited, Agro 1 LTD, and Digicont LLC. The beneficial ownership is also split between Peres and Segal.
According to the agribusiness platform Latifundist, the companies are currently part of the Freedom Farm group, whose operations have been significantly impacted by the war. While Freedom Farm historically managed over 50,000 hectares (123,553 acres), over 20,000 hectares (49,421 acres) of which remain under Russian occupation, leading to the closure of many of its enterprises.
The group is controlled by US citizens Marina, Illya, and Vadim Segal, with Illya and Vadim being former owners of Nadra Bank.
About Astarta Holding PLC
According to the holding’s website, Astarta is a publicly traded European company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2006.
Founded in 1993 by businessman Viktor Ivanchyk, it is an industrial group that leads several sectors of Ukrainian agriculture. The holding operates in Poltava, Vinnytsia, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr regions.
The company manages 212,000 hectares (523,863 acres) of land and produces between 250,000 and 500,000 tons of sugar every year.
Astarta is a leading producer of industrial milk in Ukraine, managing a herd of 29,000 cattle. The company is also a major player in soybean processing and operates a bioenergy division that generates around 150,000 cubic meters (5 million cubic feet) of biogas daily.