Since establishing its presence in the country more than twenty years ago, LDC Ukraine has become one of the country’s three largest grains and oilseeds exporters, specializing in wheat, barley, maize, sunflower and soybeans. This is the result of our origination capacity spanning the entire country, our strategic asset base, and the skills and commitment of our people. Our talented local teams strive to build sustainable relationships with local farmers and the industry, complementing LDC’s origination activities.

LDC Ukraine counts on best-in-class market research capabilities, unparalleled risk management and a fast-growing network of processing assets and logistics terminals to support the origination, transformation and distribution of our products to customers around the world.

Ukrainian grain production and exports are expected to grow substantially in the next few years, driven by higher yields, the proliferation of corn crops and increasingly efficient farming operations. LDC’s ongoing expansion in the country aims to address the resulting need for efficient export capabilities, through an established network that is able to handle large volumes of grain and oilseeds quickly and effectively.

Today, our Groups’ origination and merchandizing activities in grains in Ukraine are supported by five assets – this is where our local products are dried, blended and sorted by quality, ensuring we meet our customers’ requirements. Our assets also serve as logistics hubs for the dispatch of grain exports.

In addition to Grains & Oilseeds, LDC operates two other business lines (which we call Platforms) in the country: Sugar and Global Markets.

• Our Grains & Oilseeds Platform exports sunflower oils to our end-buyers, as well as soybeans to crushing plants around the world.
• Over the past year, LDC’s Sugar Platform succeeded in becoming one of Ukraine’s main actors in the export of beet sugar to international markets.
• Finally, our Global Markets Platform manages our export business’ foreign exchange risk.

Assets in Ukraine:

• The Rahny grains and oilseeds warehouse is located in the village of Rahny, in Vinnytsia region, and has a storage capacity of 159,000 tons.
• The Gaysin grains and oilseeds warehouse is a complex of three silos situated in Vinnytsia region, with a total storage capacity of 72,000 tons.
• The Serdyukovka grains and oilseeds warehouse is located at the center of Cherkassy region, with storage capacity of up to 32,000 tons.
• The Mykhailovka warehouse, which stores mainly grains and oilseeds, is located in Zaporizhya region, and has a total storage capacity of 98,000 tons.
• The Odessa Port facility, a partnership agreement with Brooklyn Kiev LLC, is a multi-commodity terminal located within the Odessa port on the Black Sea, in southern Ukraine. The facility’s total grain storage capacity is about 240,000 MT, and its annual transshipment capacity is up to 4.5 million tons.

A leading agricultural exporter

Ukraine has long been known as the breadbasket of Europe, counting a total land area of 60 million hectares, of which roughly 42 million are classified as agricultural land, including cultivated areas. Winter wheat, spring barley and corn make up most of the country's grain crops, with sunflower and sugar beet as the main crops on an industrial scale.

In recent years, the country has experienced significant growth in agricultural production and exports, which made it one of the world’s leading agricultural powerhouses:

• #1 producer of sunflower seeds and oil;
• #2 exporter of grains;
• #3 exporter of corn and producer of barley;
• #4 exporter of barley;
• #5 producer of corn;
• #6 exporter of wheat;
• #7 exporter of flour;
• #8 producer of soybean;
• #9 in wheat production¹.

Ukraine is a key country for LDC. Having established a strong origination and processing network, we continue to expand our presence and activities in the country. Our priority is to serve our customers reliably, getting the right product to the right location, at the right time.

LDC runs a dynamic network of operations in Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), as this region encompasses strategic origination points and key destination markets for many of the major commodities we handle. Ukraine is home to one of LDC’s largest grain storage networks in the Region, and the Group continues to invest in this important market.

¹ UkrAgroConsult

A safe and sustainable work environment

Providing a safe work environment for our employees is particularly important for LDC. For us, Safety, Health and the Environment (SHE) matters are key business priorities and enablers of success. Our vision is to create a safe work environment wherever we operate around the world: our people, as well as any third party working with LDC, should return home safely and without injury every day.

We invest in the safety, wellbeing and development of our employees, as they are our most important asset. The Group provides the necessary resources, such as protective equipment and duty-specific training, and ensures facilities are built and maintained to operate safely, so that every employee and contractor has what they need to work safely and sustainably across the value chain.

At the same time, recognizing that every individual plays a key part in making our vision a reality, we expect all of our employees around the world to take personal responsibility for safety in their workplace, by engaging in safe behaviors.

Our commitment to safety is reflected in our activities in Ukraine, and we make sure to measure and monitor our safety performance regularly.

People

As part of our efforts to inform our people about the challenges we face and embed safety best practice within our operations, every year we hold a Group-wide Safety Day event, involving all employees at every site. Local teams coordinate activities including presentations from senior management, visits from external experts and workshops on health and safety procedures, to develop new ideas on how to prevent incidents. This initiative reinforces LDC’s health and safety principles observed across the Group, and has become a major annual event in our company’s calendar.

Community

LDC’s operations impact hundreds of communities worldwide, and to address this, we engage in projects specifically tailored to local needs. Our team in Ukraine is an integral part of the local community, and is committed to its sustained well-being.

LDC Ukraine employees regularly take part in charitable activities, including an annual event organized for the local children's hospital (Ohmatdyt) by the LDC Kiev team, in celebration of the Day for the Protection of Children. In accordance with the needs of the hospital, employees make a donation to support treatments. A group of employees also visits the children undergoing treatment, bringing them gifts, toys, and food, and working with animators to organize games and activities.

Environment

LDC helps feed and clothe up to 500 million people worldwide every year, so environmental concerns are at the heart of our operations and business model. We ensure our operations are compliant with all applicable laws and regulations, and often work with local organizations on initiatives and activities to minimize our impact on the environment. At LDC Ukraine, we have also implemented several initiatives that promote sustainability in an office environment, such as avoiding and reducing the use of disposable items, taking measures to save energy, reusing paper, reducing print consumption, and recycling.

Careers at Louis Dreyfus Company

We believe it is important to invest in our people and that nurturing a culture that effectively identifies and manages talent on a global scale is essential. Our business is supported by a number of different roles, all of which form important cornerstones of success for the organization.

Why work with us

Our people are our most important asset – they are critical to our success. As we grow and face new challenges, we need to attract and retain the best talent, and invest in our people to help us adapt to dynamic markets and to maintain our position among the leaders in our sector.

We seek to reward hard work and offer competitive compensation packages that grow with our employees throughout their careers.