Vilmorin & Cie : update on the situation in Ukraine and Russia on May 4, 2022
Vilmorin & Cie continues to support its 110 Ukrainian employees and their families, with whom daily contact has been maintained. More than 20 families have been hosted in neighbouring countries with the help of local teams.
In Ukraine, the Company insists on highlighting the full mobilization and remarkable commitment of its teams who, despite the many difficulties and risks involved, are doing everything possible to ensure business continuity. The bombing and logistical problems are severely restricting the capacity of customers (farmers and growers) to operate: as a result, agricultural acreage has been shrinking, particularly in corn and sunflower, to an extent that is still difficult to assess, and which will certainly not be compensated for in the rest of Europe.
In Russia, as stated at the beginning of the conflict, Vilmorin & Cie has maintained the flows adopted for the current campaign, considering its responsibility, as the fourth largest seed company worldwide, not to further compromise world food production. To date, activities in the country have been continuing almost normally, despite logistical constraints in the delivery of seed orders.
Vilmorin & Cie : update on the situation in Ukraine and Russia on March 17th, 2022
The war launched in Ukraine by the Russian government in violation of international law has attracted unanimous condemnation to which Vilmorin & Cie unreservedly subscribes.
Right from the first day, the Company’s priority has been to provide assistance to its 110 Ukrainian employees, with whom a constant contact is maintained. To date, almost twenty families have been welcomed in neighboring countries thanks to the strong mobilization of their colleagues. In these countries, they benefit from health and welfare coverage and employees have received advanced payment of salaries.
This grave conflict comes in the middle of the annual campaign to deliver seeds to both Ukrainian and Russian farmers. In Ukraine, Vilmorin & Cie’s teams are working hard to finalize the delivery of seeds to distribution points, despite all the difficulties due to this state of war. Their commitment to this mission is remarkable.
The role of Ukraine and Russia in global agricultural production, and therefore in the food security of many countries whose agriculture is not sufficient to feed their citizens, is underlined by international bodies. The war in Ukraine is already increasing supply pressures in Africa and the Middle East.
Seeds, which are the basis of all food production, are in principle excluded from the scope of international sanctions. As the 4th seed company in the world, Vilmorin & Cie therefore considers that it is its responsibility not to interrupt, for the present, the flows to producers in Russia for the current campaign.
On the other hand, the project for the construction of a seed factory in Russia, which is part of the multi-annual investment plan, has been suspended.