Ekosem-Agrar on a path of constant growth

• Dairy herd developing well according to plan
• Record level for first forage harvest yields
• Further dairy facilities under construction

Walldorf, Germany, 11 June 2012 – Ekosem-Agrar GmbH, the German holding company of the Ekoniva corporate group, which is focused on milk production, continues on its path of growth. In its milk production, the daily quantity collected continued to increase in recent months as well. In crop production, both the spring sowing and the important first cut of the forage harvest went very well, with favorable weather conditions contributing to the success. The quantity and quality of alfalfa harvested set a new record.

The milk yield in the companies of the Group is currently about 245 tons per day. On September 30, 2011 it was at 156 tons per day, with yields at 186 on December 31, 2011 and 237 on March 31, 2012. The average milk production per cow increased from 15.8 liters per day in September 2011 to 18.5 in March 2012. This highlights the dynamic development of the Group. In the same period, the dairy cow herd increased from 10,182 on September 30, 2011 to 11,665 on December 31, 2011 and 12,428 on March 31, 2012.

In the area of crop production, the fall crops planted withstood the winter well with losses in the fields planted last fall at about 6% or 1% of total croplands: a satisfyingly low figure. The dry spring did little harm to the field crops and was ideal for the first cut of the staple forage harvest. More than 50,000 tons of alfalfa and grass silage were harvested – more than 50% above last year’s harvest. “The first cut for fodder production this year is the best we’ve ever had,” remarked Stefan Dürr, majority shareholder and managing director of Ekosem-Agrar GmbH. “The high-quality feed we plant for our stock is an important basis for the continued high quality of our milk.

In recent days there was sufficient rain to provide good water for the sowing, which nearly compensated for the effects of the dry spring. As a result, the company expects the various cash crops to grow well.

Investment projects for dairy cattle in the Voronezh, Novosibirsk, Kaluga and Tyumen regions are running according to plan. In the current year, the import of 5000 pregnant heifers and young cattle from the US is planned. These will contribute to the increase in milk production together with offspring from the company’s own stock, some from autumn of this year and others as of 2013.