Global Grain Giants Scale Back Russian Operations

Cargill Inc.andADMboth said on Friday they were scaling back business activities inRussia, but would continue to operate "essential" food facilities there, reportsReuters.

Details from Cargill's website previously said the company employs about 2,500 people in Russia, with investments of more than $1.1 billion in agro-processing.

"Food is a basic human right and should never be used as a weapon," Cargill said in a statement.

ADM said in a statement its footprint in Russia was very limited and it would "scale down operations in Russia not related to the production and transport of essential food commodities and ingredients."

Bunge toldReuterslast Thursday it had suspended any new export business from Russia, but its oilseed crush plant is still operating there and serving the domestic market. Bunge has $121 million in total assets in the country.

On March 4, Louis Dreyfus Co. (LDC) said itsuspended Russian operations.

LDC operates a grain export terminal on the Azov Sea, with annual capacity of about 1 million tonnes, and exports 1.5-3 million tonnes per year in total from Russia, according to itswebsite.

—Lisa Cleaver