World Grain - February 2018 - 15

Ukraine grain group names new chairman
KYIV, UKRAINE - The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Jan.
11 appointed Iryna Marchenko as acting chairman of the board of
the State Food and Grain Corporation of Ukraine (SFGCU). She
succeeds Dmytro Gavrysh, who recently resigned from the board.
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various sectors, especially the business-to-business segment, and
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Marchenko has more than 15 years of experience in the corporate
sector, and has worked for Ukrainian and international companies of
various sizes.

"We will focus on analyzing the negative and positive factors that
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levels, starting with cooperation with small agricultural producers
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international strategic partner," she said. "In short-term prospects,
we have to fully reset the company's activity in order to maximize
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The SFGCU is the national operator of the Ukrainian grain market,
and a leader in the storing, processing, shipping and exporting of
grains.

NWGG and Whitgro to merge May 1
WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON, U.S. - The board of directors
of Northwest Grain Growers (NWGG) has approved the association's
merger with Whitgro, Inc., effective May 1. The move is expected to
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Ninety-six percent of NWGG's members voted in favor of the
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"Market economics is a big reason," Heath Barnes, general
manager of Whitgro Inc., told the Capital Press. "Really, (it's the)
same reason all the other co-ops are consolidating - mainly market
economics, a shift in some of our freight options and our ability to
remain competitive for our members."
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groups in Endicott and St. John, Washington, U.S. Today, the
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Chris Peha, general manager of NWGG, told the Capital Press the
majority of Whitgro's facilities are on a short-lined railroad owned
by the state of Washington. NWGG, though, has an agreement with
the railroad operator to move and load grain at Whitgro's facilities
and ship it to NWGG's facilities along the river.In December, Central
Washington Grain Growers Inc. of Waterville, Davenport Union
Warehouse Co., Odessa Union Warehouse Co-Op and Reardan Grain
Growers Inc., agreed to purchase Almira Farmers Warehouse Co. on
April 1 to form HighLine Grain Growers Inc. The new company is
expected to better address business costs and aging infrastructure.

Syngenta fills new role of chief sustainability officer
BASEL, SWITZERLAND - Syngenta
recently named Alexandra Brand to the newly
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(CSO). Brand, who previously was regional
director for Europe, Africa and the Middle
East, will report directly to Erik Fyrwald, chief
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Brand will lead the newly created Business
Sustainability Group to evolve existing
Brand
sustainability initiatives, including The Good Growth Plan and to
drive forward the company's sustainability agenda. The group aligns
the company's regulatory affairs, sustainability and stewardship,
external affairs and communications activities.

"We are already playing an important role in helping to feed the world
and we want to do more as we go forward," Fyrwald said. "To do this we
need to have sensible discussions with governments, NGOs, academics
and the food chain on the regulatory, policy and societal challenges and
opportunities our industry faces. We have made real progress and we
want to build on this with new and different conversations about what
more sustainable agriculture will mean in the future."
The company is working toward creating sustainable agriculture.
"We want to help further shape agriculture and its place in society
- the position of CSO will be central in leading this," Fyrwald
said. "Alexandra has a real passion for helping farmers to become
more productive while managing the impacts of climate change and
having to produce more with less."

CHS earnings fall on sluggish Ag segment
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, U.S. - CHS, Inc. sustained a 14% drop
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weaker results in its Ag segment.
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"Despite challenging market conditions, CHS experienced a solid
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strengthening relationships, sharpening operational excellence and
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Earnings before income taxes for the Ag segment was down
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www.World-Grain.com / World Grain / February 2018

margins, a decrease in processing and food ingredients, and a drop in
renewable fuels and marketing and production operations.
The decrease partially was offset by an improvement in country
operations due to a gain from the sale of a North American location,
a gain on the sale of a domestic investment and recovery of a loan
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Wheat, corn and soybean volumes decreased by about 8%
compared to last year due to lower exports caused by increased
global competition.
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of an international location as well as a decline in volumes, CHS
Inc. reported.
15
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World Grain - February 2018

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