OREANDA-NEWS. On  September 12, 2007, ING Investment Management (Polska) S.A. - Polish division of the international company ING Investment Management S.A. announced the acquisition by one of the funds under their management - ING Parasol Specjalistyczny Fundusz Inwestycyjny - the additional block of shares of ASTARTA Holding N.V. As a result of this transaction the holdings of the fund in the share capital of the company rose to 5.39%. 

"We are glad to see such reputable international investor like ING Investment Management among our shareholders. This could be considered as an additional proof of the growing  investment attractiveness of our company as well as Ukrainian agricultural sector at a whole," CEO of ASTARTA Holding N.V. Viktor Ivanchyk was quoted as saying by ASTARTA’s press-service.

ASTARTA Holding N.V. is a Dutch holding company controlling the Ukrainian agro-industrial holding Astarta-Kievv, one of the leaders of the Ukrainian sugar industry. It consists of 5 sugar plants, a fixed fodder and a canning factory, as well as 31 agricultural companies with over 108 thousand ha of agricultural land under lease.  The agricultural companies are focused on growing sugar beet but also produce grain, oil seeds and other agricultural crops. In 2006, ASTARTA produced over 160 thousand tons of beet sugar, 527 thousand tons of sugar beet, 129 thousand tons of grain crops and oilseeds.  ASTARTA's sugar in the total Ukrainian sugar output was 6.2%. In 2006, revenues of ASTARTA Holding N.V. amonted to EUR68.1 million, EBITDA - EUR10.3, net profit - EUR5.8 million.

ING Investment Management is an international asset management company presented in the 30 countries in America, Europe, South-East Asia and Pacific with its personnel about 2500 people. It has nearly EUR400 billion under management.