b'THE SEED BUSINESS IN UKRAINE GOES ON DESPITE INVASIONAs tension continues in Ukraine, CanGrosVladimir Zinchenko tells his story. Marc ZienkiewiczVLADIMIR ZINCHENKOnever thought hed go from selling seed to defending the Vyshhorod region of Ukraine (near Kyiv) with an automatic weapon.But thats just what hes had to do since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.Today the situation is calm in the region, but in gen-eral the situation in the country is very tense, he said via email back in April.Zinchenko is director of seed sales for CanGro Genetics in Ukraine. The Ontario-based CanGro Genetics sells non-GM soybean seed around the globe, including in Ukraine. When he spoke with Germination over the spring, CanGros general manager Martin Harry said while he hadnt yet had the pleasure of meeting Zinchenko in person, the two have spoken a lot over Zoom during the past several months and continue to work to ensure Ukrainian growers get the seed they need to plant a crop.CanGro Genetics tests non-GM soybean varieties and has a 12-location testing program in Ukraine. Seed is multiplied in Canada and CanGro sends stock seed to its partners who then grow it and sell the seed to European growers under a royalty agreement.Our goal is to capture royalties and not just sell once; Vladimir Zinchenko of CanGrowe want long-term customer relationships, Harry says. Genetics on duty in the VyshhorodVladimir has been a huge help in doing that in Ukraine, region near Kyiv. despite the recent challenges. Everyone working hard to make sure the growers get what they need.34GERMINATION.CAJULY 2022'