Traktorist.ua’s editorial team continues to keep readers informed during wartime. This time we spoke with Leonid Kulyk, head of the product marketing department at “ABA ASTRA”.
How does one of the largest suppliers of agricultural machinery from world brands such as AGCO (Fendt, Valtra), Horsch, Manitou, Berthoud, Valley, FraMest, Oros, Trimble and Bogballe operate during the war — read on in our feature.
How “ASTRA” operates during the war
The “ASTRA” company, like most agricultural machinery dealers, resumed operations only in the third week after the day Russia attacked Ukraine. As of today, “ASTRA” operates in practically all the regions where it was present before the fighting began.
Leonid Kulyk, head of product marketing at “ABA ASTRA”.
Today we’re operating in the regions of central and western Ukraine, and partly in the south, east and even the northern part of our country. Of course, there are regions that were partly affected by the occupying Russian forces. Chernihiv and Kyiv regions were hit hard.
Leonid Kulyk – head of product marketing at “ABA ASTRA”
The company representative adds that in the regions that were occupied, work unfortunately isn’t underway, because of the risks to staff, while in territories where it’s been relatively calmer, they’ve continued working in parts service and spares (Chernihiv and Kyiv regions).
Right now, those regions have been liberated, and I hope that soon, once our authorities say it’s relatively calm and safe to work there, we’ll resume our operations accordingly.
Leonid Kulyk – head of product marketing at “ABA ASTRA”
ABA ASTRA’s parts warehouse
As for “ASTRA”‘s central office, located in the village of Chabany in Kyiv region, work never stopped there, even though it got “hot” nearby — whenever possible, we kept working and tried to keep shipping spare parts to farmers.
We moved the agricultural machinery from the site to calmer regions, but I’ll say frankly, we never closed the branch, even when fighting was happening nearby — the head office kept operating on the principle of “if it’s possible, we work.”
Leonid Kulyk – head of product marketing at “ABA ASTRA”
Machinery, spare parts, service
Speaking of the parts side of things, the situation isn’t overly critical, because “ASTRA” had most components in stock at its warehouses, and farmers received their orders whenever it was possible.
From the start of the fighting, we needed a bit of time to reorganize our parts-related processes, and after the second week we resumed work on spare parts. Right now, we’re supplying parts both from our own warehouses, and for more than 2 weeks now, from Europe as well.
Leonid Kulyk – head of product marketing at “ABA ASTRA”
The situation with agricultural machinery was a bit more complicated, because for a while after the war began, there was a restriction on critical imports.
In the first period of the fighting, under a Cabinet of Ministers order, agricultural machinery wasn’t included in critical imports, so there were issues organizing supply. But on March 22, agricultural machinery was included in critical imports, so “ASTRA” resumed supplying machinery. We already have the first machines, which we delivered to our customers last week, and we keep bringing more in.
Leonid Kulyk – head of product marketing at “ABA ASTRA”
Handing over the keys to a brand-new Fendt 1038 Vario
Farmers are already receiving pre-seeding cultivators and tractors, and this week “ASTRA” expects seeding machinery and sprayers to arrive in Ukraine as well. Machinery isn’t being kept in a warehouse, because no one knows how the situation will develop further. Machines are delivered straight to the end customer — the farmers. Just the other day, “ASTRA” staff delivered a Valley irrigation system, a Horsch seeding complex and Fendt tractors to farmers in Vinnytsia region.
As for service, in regions where there’s no threat to staff’s lives, our service engineers are going out into the fields.
We understand that machinery has to work in the fields, and if there’s a problem and it stops, then aside from a direct visit to that machine, it can’t be brought back into operation. So of course our service works in the fields, and works at our branches whenever repair work is needed there. We’re working across every front.
Leonid Kulyk – head of product marketing at “ABA ASTRA”
Financing agricultural machinery during the war
According to Leonid Kulyk, financing from financial institutions and banks is currently complicated, because these organizations naturally take their own risks into account, and their decisions on whether to “finance” or “not finance” take quite a long time.
“ASTRA”‘s service team in the field
Today, we have confirmation from some financial partners that they’ll provide financing under “open agreements,” meaning agreements they’d already confirmed earlier. Of course we don’t hear this from every financial institution, but I can say that “OTP Leasing” confirmed its readiness to keep financing such projects, again in territories where the threat today is comparatively lowest — compared, for instance, with Chernihiv or Kyiv regions.
Leonid Kulyk – head of product marketing at “ABA ASTRA”
The company representative adds that there’s also confirmation from some financial institutions about issuing loans to end customers for purchasing agricultural machinery. But the situation is dramatically different compared with how it was before the war.
Everything right now is up in the air, and all financial institutions, hedging their risks, are reviewing every earlier decision and treating new decisions with caution accordingly.
Leonid Kulyk – head of product marketing at “ABA ASTRA”
Humanitarian aid for Ukraine
We can’t fail to mention “ASTRA”‘s humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Together with Hungarian and German partner companies, the dealer has already delivered a second shipment of humanitarian aid (food, clothing and hygiene products) to Ukraine.
Given that our owners have been doing business in Ukraine for quite a long time — more than 20 years — Ukraine is a country they know well, and one that a lot is tied to for them. So in this difficult time, our owners are supporting the country through humanitarian aid. This week, a second shipment of humanitarian aid was already delivered to Ukraine, and further shipments will follow.
Leonid Kulyk – head of product marketing at “ABA ASTRA”
In closing, Leonid Kulyk adds that “Ukraine will prevail! Everything will be fine!”, and we can only agree! Glory to Ukraine!
