WASHINGTON, D.C. - Astarta-Kyiv LLC, a large agri-industrial company and the leader of the Ukrainian sugar sector, Kyiv, Ukraine, has been approved for membership in the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), the USUBC executive committee announced today on behalf of the entire USUBC membership of over 160 companies and organizations who have business operations, investments or other development programs in Ukraine.

Astarta's agricultural business is primarily aimed at the growing of the sugar beets, over 2.5 million tons annually, by agricultural companies controlled by their Group, which is the main raw material for their seven sugar plants. Astarta-Kyiv's sugar plants focus their operations on the production and sale of sugar, sugar by-products and related services.

Astarta strengthened their leading position as the largest Ukrainian sugar producer with 13% share of domestic sugar production in the 2010 production season. Astarta has a major contract to supply sugar to Coca-Cola Ukraine.

GROWING & SELLING GRAIN CROPS AND OIL SEEDS
Due to the necessity of crop rotation in the cultivation of the sugar beets Astarta is also involved in growing and selling various grain crops and oil seeds including wheat, barley, soybeans, corn and sunflower seeds. Cattle farming and dairy livestock are an additional activity. With more than 24 thousand cattle headcount Astarta is the largest producer of industrialized milk in Ukraine.

Their agri-industrial units consist of seven sugar plants, dairy livestock facilities, mixed fodder plant, seed processing plant and agricultural production with 225 thousand hectares under lease. Agricultural land under lease is expected to reach 250,000 hectares by the end of 2011.

WARSAW STOCK EXCHANGE
Since August 2006 ASTARTA'S shares have been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. They also have financing lines with the U.S. EX-IM Bank, EBRD, FMO, Citi bank and other leading international lenders. All of their operations are located in the Poltava, Vinnytsya, Khmelnyrsky, Ternopil and Zhytomyr Oblasts (administrative regions) of Ukraine. The Ukrainian parent company provides centralized sales.

US COMPANIES PROVIDE HUGE AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY FLEET
Astarta has a very large agricultural machinery and transportation fleet. Over 1,300 pieces of agricultural equipment has been purchased from United States agricultural machinery companies. Astarta has planters, grain combines, tractors, grain drills, sprayers and sugar beet equipment manufactured by such companies as:

Astarta has purchased over 700 pieces of sugar beet equipment from Amity Technology/WIC Sugar Beet Equipment Line, working with Howard Dahl and Brian Dahl, founders and principal owners, in Fargo, North Dakota. All of these agricultural machinery companies are members of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC).

ASTARTA AND USUBC
Astarta-Kyiv was recommended as a member for USUBC by several U.S. companies as one of the leading Ukrainian agribusiness's that is professionally managed and meets international standards for financing, transparency and accounting. USUBC has been working with Viktor Ivanchyk, the Founder and CEO; Yana Kavushevska, Ph.D., Advisor to CEO & Press Secretary and Mykola Kovalski, Director for Business Development and Investor Relations.

"Viktor Ivanchyk is well known as one of the top ten agribusiness leaders and managers in Ukraine. USUBC is proud to have Astarta-Kyiv as a new member and look forward to working with such an outstanding company," said Morgan Williams Director, Government Affairs, Washington Office, SigmaBleyzer Private Equity Management Group, who serves as President of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC). "USUBC plans to work closely with Astarta to expand their strong connections to U.S. agricultural machinery, seed, crop protection supply companies and with U.S. financial institutions."

INFORMATION: For further information on Astarta-Kyiv, go to http://www.astartakiev.com/?id=300.

USUBC MEMBERSHIP REACHES 165
The U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), founded in 1995 in Washington, D.C., now has over one-hundred sixty-five members. Membership in January of 2005 was eight, in January of 2007 was 22, reached 100 by January of 2009 and topped 150 in January of 2011. The complete list of USUBC members can be found at: http://www.usubc.org/members.php. For a list of the USUBC board of directors go to the following link: http://www.usubc.org/site/u-s-ukraine-business-council-board-of-directors.