July 29, 2017. USA. SP Advisors and its partners INTL FCStone and CTI John Deere organized a unique tour of agricultural enterprises in the US for representatives of Ukrainian businesses from July 24 to July 29, 2017.

First on the tour was a stop in the Champaign region of Illinois, where the Ukrainian guests visited Topflight Grain, Klein Farms, and Tate & Lyle to get a deeper look at modern means of cultivating, storing, and processing crops and the region's efficient farming practices.

Along with representatives of INTL FCStone, the participants then visited the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), where they observed the start of trading for brokers, traders, and exchange clerks, and watched the process of trading and the completion of deals.

Finally, the tour visited the state of Kansas. There, the guests met with representatives of the US Department of Agriculture and visited the state's largest farming enterprises, Wickstrum Farms and Ohlde Seed Farms, where they learned about specific aspects of plant farming and animal breeding. They also met with the owner of CTI, the largest dealer of John Deere equipment in Kansas, and toured CTI's inventory of high-quality agricultural equipment.

"I have many years of experience in agriculture and I have to admit that I was struck by the professionalism and technological quality of American farmers. During the tour, I was especially interested in animal breeding processes, especially breeding beef cattle and methods of breeding and feeding animals that increase the quality and taste of the meat," said Vasyl Nesteruk, first deputy director of "Zemlya i Volya" and a participant of the trip.

About SP Advisors
SP Advisors is a full-service investment house focused on advisory, asset management, and merchant banking, operating in Ukraine, Georgia, and Eastern Europe. Established in 2011, SP Advisors has assembled a veteran management and corporate advisory team with experience in the Eastern European investment space. SP Advisors partners with businesses in Ukraine and abroad, including international investment banks and legal, consulting, and audit firms.

About INTL FCStone
INTL FCStone is a financial services firm with a consulting wing focused on risk management for commodity, currency, and bond markets. The company has representative offices in more than 100 countries worldwide. In 2012, the company placed 30th on the Fortune 500 list of the largest corporations in the United States.

About CTI
Concordia Tractor Inc. (CTI) was established in 1967 in the state of Kansas (USA) and has become the largest John Deere dealer in Kansas. In addition to the sale of equipment, the company also services agricultural equipment and sells spare parts. CTI has more than 2,000 client-partners who use the full range of CTI's services, an accomplishment that reflects the dedication of the company's 130 highly qualified employees. CTI has a market presence in 13 counties in Kansas and holds a 60% share of the market in the state. CTI is also a dealer of Reinke irrigation products.