Cargill facility 'seized' in Ukraine

By Jane Byrne

- Last updated on GMT

© GettyImages/MarkRubens
© GettyImages/MarkRubens
Cargill has said its sunflower-seed processing plant in eastern Ukraine has been seized by ‘armed individuals’ amid escalating violence in the region.

The global agri-giant ceased operations at the plant on July 4 as tensions increased in the area, and no Cargill employees are present at the facility - which produces sunflower oil and meal. 

The facility was subsequently occupied by a ‘small number of armed individuals’, according to a Cargill spokesperson – who added that the firm cannot predict when the plant will reopen.

The plant is in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, where the government is battling pro-Russian separatists.

Cargill has been present in Ukraine for 21 years and has more than 700 employees in the country. The US-based giant also bought a 5% stake in UkrLandFarming Plc, Ukraine’s biggest agricultural company, for $200m in December.

UkrLandFarming CEO Oleg Bakhmatyuk said July 1 that he postponed a planned initial public offering for his company because of political violence in Ukraine.

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