Nibulon, NASA Harvest partner to boost food security with satellite technology
UKRAINE – Ukrainian agribusiness leader Nibulon has partnered with NASA Harvest, NASA’s Food Security and Agriculture Program, in a strategic move to bolster global food security.
This collaboration aims to integrate satellite data and analytics with Nibulon’s extensive expertise in grain production and agricultural practices.
Oleksandra Oliinyk, Ukraine Strategic Partnerships Manager at NASA Harvest, emphasized the significance of this partnership.
“Partnering with Nibulon provides NASA Harvest with valuable insights into estimating major crop production in Ukraine, aiding the Ukrainian government in assessing yields across both free and occupied territories,” Oliinyk.
She highlighted that Nibulon’s field data is instrumental in verifying and calibrating crop recognition models, especially given the strategic location of Nibulon’s fields in Mykolaiv Oblast, near the front line. This proximity allows for collecting ground data close to occupied areas, which is crucial since on-the-ground data from these territories is inaccessible.
Oleg Veselov, Director of Agricultural Production at Nibulon, reflected on the company’s adaptive strategies amidst challenges.
“Despite the challenges in the agricultural sector, we had the courage to rethink our approach to agricultural production, shifting our focus to efficiency and profitability through investment,” he noted.
He reiterated that this strategic shift led to a remarkable increase in profitability, with EBITDA growth from US$200 per hectare to US$800 per hectare, depending on the region, and a 60% surge in production compared to the previous year.
Veselov credited NASA Harvest’s support and data for guiding these management decisions.
Nibulon, founded in 1991 in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, has established itself as a leader in grain exports and agricultural production, managing a land bank exceeding 76,000 hectares.
The company has been instrumental in modernizing Ukraine’s agricultural infrastructure, including the recent large-scale modernization of its grain elevator network.
This partnership with NASA Harvest is not Nibulon’s first foray into leveraging advanced technology for agricultural advancement.
Recently, Nibulon entered a multi-year agreement with Safe Pro Group to deploy AI-powered drone demining systems in a bid to survey farmlands for landmines and unexploded ordnance, accelerating the reclamation of arable land for Ukrainian farmers.
NASA Harvest, dedicated to improving food security and agriculture through satellite data, views this collaboration as a significant step toward building a more sustainable and resilient global food system.
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