Prices change within a week, the weather rewrites harvest forecasts, and geopolitics adds new conditions to logistics. The grain market does not forgive slowness. I have worked in it for more than ten years, and I learned the main lesson long ago: instability is not a reason to stop, but a reason to move faster than everyone else.
My path: from LeonTrade to Agroproekt Razvitie
It all began with the agency company LeonTrade. We handled the purchasing, promotion and sale of agricultural crops in Russia, the CIS and abroad, and we closed our first deals back in 2023. Today the same experience and the same network of contacts work in Agroproekt Razvitie. I am its founder and operator, and alongside me is a team of four partners who cover the entire deal cycle.
I have more than ten years in agriculture behind me, including experience at the FGBU Grain Quality Assessment Centre. I am an official agent for ten agricultural companies, plants and elevators, and I have received letters of appreciation for my contribution to the development of the Omsk region.
Why I do this
My mission is simple: to make the purchase and sale of products clearer and more efficient, on both the domestic and foreign markets. The agro-industrial sector is unstable today, so our main task is to help businesses sell what they produce quickly and on good terms. I am especially pleased that many companies have already signed long-term supply contracts through us.
Where I start
Not with a price list and not with a contact database. First we look for common interests and common ground between the parties, then we identify their needs, and only after that do we sit down to negotiate. My job is to represent the client's interests and build the process so that both sides want a long and mutually beneficial relationship.
After that we work step by step: we identify the facility's needs, find clients and commodity flows, work out terms and logistics, calculate margins, and support the agreements through to delivery.
An unstable market calls for speed
When prices move, it is important not to lose time: to adapt in good time and find new points of growth. I do a lot of analysis myself and try to anticipate trends and events. That is why we keep a constant eye on market trends: this shows us what clients really need and lets us find sales opportunities before others notice them.
Direct contacts instead of extra links in the chain
Online platforms help to find the right product quickly, and I bring them in when a client needs it. But our strength lies elsewhere: we have built a broad network of contacts among processors, exporters and producers. This lets us represent clients' interests directly and arrange profitable deals without unnecessary intermediaries.
We find clients on social media, on specialised classifieds platforms and in industry forums. Each channel works in its own way, and together they deliver good results.
From the field to the buyer: logistics and quality
It all depends on the buyer's terms. We have reliable partners who take on turnkey logistics: transport, customs clearance, transhipment and storage. On request, we organise deliveries not only within Russia but also to Turkey, China, the UAE, Iran and Afghanistan.
Quality can be checked in several ways. The buyer or their representative can visit, inspect the product and take a sample. We provide quality certificates, photos and videos, and, if necessary, send a trial lot.
How I reduce risks
The main risk is unscrupulous suppliers and buyers. To reduce it, I always take part in the negotiations and discuss all the terms of the deal in advance. If there are doubts about quality, we first order a trial lot and send it to a laboratory or to the client for inspection.
The project today
- more than 20,000 followers on social media, a reach of over 100,000 and about 10,000 members of business alliances on TenChat;
- four partner elevators: one in the Novosibirsk region, one in Taishet (Irkutsk region) and two in Volgograd;
- cooperation with a major flour-milling company;
- a meat business line: a slaughterhouse in Barabinsk (Novosibirsk region);
- an average deal volume of 2,000 t or more per month for grains, pulses and oilseeds, and 500 t or more for processed products.
We have also handled large lots for export contracts, container shipments of peas to Chengdu and Qingdao, grain and flour supplies to processing plants, grain purchasing at elevators, and supplies to ports and terminals for export.
Our team
- Evgeny Bogdanets: founder and operator of the project, 10+ years in agriculture;
- Anna Yushina: rail logistics in Russia and the CIS;
- Daria Tarakanova: foreign trade, procurement, foreign certification and product standardisation;
- Lyudmila Trushkina: development of the partner network and the commercial side, 10+ years at Syngenta.
How we can help your facility
- fill underused capacity: we find volumes for storage and conditioning;
- find buyers and suppliers;
- bring in clients for transhipment and loading;
- organise rail logistics in Russia and the CIS, and handle documents, foreign trade and certification;
- calculate the deal economics before the start: FCA, wagon loading, big bags;
- support the deal through to delivery and help you pass accreditation.
We choose the form of cooperation to fit the task: commercial support, payment for results, a combined model or an agency programme. We manage the whole process in AmoCRM, from first contact to signing the deal, so nothing gets lost.
What experience has taught me
Over ten years the market has changed a great deal, but the essentials have stayed the same: you have to build partnerships, trust and respect others, be responsible and know how to resolve conflicts. Long-term success rests on this.
And one more thing. Every business is a reflection of the person who runs it. Their values determine what the business becomes: dry and formal, or lively and socially minded.
Where we are heading
Our goals are ambitious: to strengthen our position in the agro-industrial market, to build close cooperation among its participants and to bring even more products to export.
Want to know more about me? Read my full interview, "Interview with Evgeny Bogdanets, Owner of LeonTrade" (reviewed by the portal's expert on 14 October 2025).
Let's discuss filling your site
Tell us about your crops, capacity and goals, and we will propose a plan.