Top 20 landowners in Russia

The family of Alexander Tkachev (No. 1) – 152.1 billion rubles, Igor Khudokormov (No. 2) – 94.3 billion, the Linnik brothers (No. 3) – 77.1 billion

Forbes releases a yearly list of the biggest landowners in Russia. The top spot, as in previous years, is held by “Agrocomplex” named after N. I. Tkachev, owned by the family of the former Agriculture Minister Alexandra Tkacheva. The five largest landowners in Russia are featured in the Forbes gallery

The total land area owned by the largest domestic landowners is 8.5 million hectares, and their overall value has risen from 617.31 billion rubles to 933.04 billion rubles.

The top-ranking largest landowners remain the same – with Agrocomplex named after N. I. Tkachev, owned by the family of the former Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev, in the first place. In terms of area (660,000 ha) the company trails Prodimex Igor Khudokormov (900,000 ha) and Miratorg brothers Viktor and Alexander Linnikov (1.047 million hectares), but exceeds them in value: land controlled by Agrocomplex is valued at 152.1 billion rubles. The reason for this is the constant increase in the value of land in the Kuban region. According to BEFL consulting company managing director Vladislav Novoselov, the cost of land in the Krasnodar Territory has already reached almost 300,000 rubles per hectare on average, and in some cases, exceeds 350,000 rubles. At the same time, the Chernozem region is leading in the increase in the value of agricultural land in relative terms, Novoselov notes: in several regions, prices have tripled or quadrupled since the beginning of 2019.

The majority of Prodimex's land is concentrated there, taking second place with an estimate of 94.3 billion rubles. Miratorg is third with an estimate of 77.1 billion rubles. The fourth spot goes to Steppe agricultural holding, which acquired 24,000 hectares in the Stavropol Territory in 2021. Rusagro company Vadim Moshkovich, which held fifth place in the ranking the previous year, was pushed down to sixth place by the Krasnodar concern Pokrovsky.

The rating also includes a newcomer – Denis Shtengelov’s KDV Agroholding, coming in 17th place with an estimated land value of 19.4 billion rubles.

What will happen to agricultural land prices in the new economic reality after February 24, 2022? They will likely continue to rise, according to Novoselov: with the rise in ruble prices, land remains one of the few assets that don't depreciate and provide a reliable income. However, changes in conditions, especially a sharp increase in the cost of obtaining financing, will lead to inefficient players being forced out of the market.

1. Firm “Agrocomplex” named after N. I. Tkacheva

Primary owners: Alexander Tkachev and family

Headquarters: Krasnodar Territory

Land location: Krasnodar Territory, Adygea, Stavropol Territory, Rostov Region

Area: 660,000 ha

Cost, billion rubles: 152.1

The company was established in 1993 by the father of the former governor of the Krasnodar Territory and ex-Minister of Agriculture of Russia Alexander Tkachev. Currently, it includes over 60 enterprises involved in crop production, feed production, meat and dairy farming, horticulture, and processing of agricultural products. Its finished products are sold by partner companies in almost all regions of the European part of Russia and Western Siberia, as well as through their own chain of stores. In 2021, the company considered buying 200,000 hectares of land from Yug Rus, but the deal fell through.

2. "Prodimex"

Main owner: Igor Khudokormov

Headquarters: Moscow region

Land location: Voronezh, Kursk, Tambov, Lipetsk, Belgorod, Penza regions, Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol Territory, Bashkortostan

Area: 900,000 ha

Cost, billion rubles: 94.3

Igor KhudokormovEstablished in 1992, the company initially involved in importing sugar, and in 1996 it also started its own production. Currently, Prodimex operates 14 sugar factories producing 1 million tons of sugar per year. The company also cultivates grain, legumes, and oilseeds. By the end of 2020, the group generated a revenue of 93.6 billion rubles. Since 2018, the company, in partnership with Stefan Duerr’s EkoNiva, has been working on a project in Voronezh Region to construct large dairy farms for several thousand cattle.

3. Miratorg

Main owners: Alexander and Viktor Linnik

Headquarters: Moscow

Land location: Belgorod, Kaliningrad, Tula, Bryansk, Oryol, Kaluga, Smolensk, Kursk regions

Area: 1,047,000 ha

Cost, billion rubles: 77.1

The company was established by the Linnik brothers in 1995. Currently, Miratorg is the largest meat producer in Russia. Conducting the entire meat production process, the company is also involved in crop production and feed production. It also expands its network of Burger & Fries restaurants and Miratorg branded stores. After the news about the closure of McDonald’s in Russia on March 8, the company announced that it plans to increase its burger network from 26 to 41 locations by the end of 2022. Miratorg is the owner of the largest land bank in Russia, which has grown by almost 1.5 times since 2018, from 676,000 hectares to over 1 million hectares.

4. “Steppe”

Main owner: Vladimir Evtushenkov

Headquarters: Rostov-on-Don

Land location: Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol Territory, Rostov Region

Area: 577,878 ha

Cost, billion rubles: 73.9

AFK Sistema entered the agriculture sector in 2011 by purchasing two companies in the Rostov region with a land bank of about 46,000 hectares at the auctions of the Federal Property Management Agency. In 2012, this asset was incorporated into RZ Agro, a joint venture with members of the Louis-Dreyfus family. Two years later, Systema acquired the Steppe agricultural holding. The agricultural holding focuses on crop production, dairy farming, and intensive horticulture. In 2015, Vladimir Yevtushenkov declared plans to create a company with a land bank of 1 million hectares, which has not yet been achieved. In May 2020, the company acquired 99.9% of the grain producer Vysotskoye LLC in the Stavropol Territory. The agricultural holding’s revenue in 2020 increased by 15.2% to 32.8 billion rubles.

5. Concern “Pokrovsky”

Main owner: Andrey Korovaiko

Headquarters: Rostov-on-Don

Land location: Krasnodar Territory

Area: 242,000 ha

Cost, billion rubles: 67.8

Concern “Pokrovsky” manufactures electrical equipment, constructs premium residential real estate, and develops commercial real estate. The group operates its own retail chain with 200 stores. However, agribusiness is the company's top priority, with an annual gross harvest of agricultural products exceeding 2.5 million tons, with over 400,000 tons being exported. The main crops in crop production are sugar beets and cereals. The concern owns six elevators, a feed mill, and a flour mill. In October 2021, an extortion case emerged.

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© Forbes.ru03/30/2022

20 largest landowners in Russia – 2022. Forbes rating