Agriculture is an important sector for SPI Group due to our strategy of controlling all the production stages in our manufacturing. We grow and harvest much of the grain we use ourselves before it is taken to our distilleries where it is processed into alcohol.

The grain we use is carefully selected by SPI Agro, our trading company based in Russia. It buys up to 100,000 tonnes of grain a year.

Raduga, SPI's agriculture arm, farms more than 5,100 hectares of land - both arable and non-arable - and employs 100 people. The crops grown include winter wheat, spring barley and spring wheat. By the end of 2007, Raduga should be harvesting high yields from 3,500 hectares.

High yields results are achieved by using advanced farming technology and modern, highly productive farming equipment. This allows the production of the highest quality grain, which is essential for SPI as it strives to maintain top-quality standards at all stages in the manufacturing process.

Igor I. Levchenko, General Manager of SPI Agro (Tambov, Russia)
After studying at the Russian Academy of Economy, Igor Levchenko gained his professional management experience running his own wholesale and retail trade business. He joined the SPI team in 2004, and is in charge of the production and supply of grain to the group’s distilleries.