Private joint-stock company Farmak (Kyiv), the pharmaceutical company, did not halt production and will gradually exit lockdown, the press service of the company has told Interfax-Ukraine.
“Farmak continues production as usual. All lines are working as planned. However, after lockdown was announced all over the country on March 12 and the Health Ministry recommended that enterprises transfer employees to remote work, if possible, Farmak transferred some employees to remote work,” the company said.
According to the company, in particular, within the framework of lockdown restrictions introduced in the country, the sanitary regime was tightened to provide additional protection for workers, members of their families and to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease COVID-10, and a reserve of disinfection and personal protective equipment was created.
The company also developed an algorithm of actions and escort routes for people with signs of ARVI, limited mass meetings, replacing them with remote meetings, suspended business trips of employees abroad, and limited business trips within Ukraine.
Workers who returned from abroad starting March 16, switched to telework for 14 days,” the company said.
During lockdown, to ensure uninterrupted operation, Farmak developed routes and a schedule for centralized transportation of employees from their places of residence at 5.45 a.m., and a carsharing group was created to deliver employees to the office.
The press service of Farmak noted an increased demand for medicines manufactured by the company.
“Production is responding to increased demand. Our mission is to make affordable and effective medicines available for treatment, so we quickly adapt to changing market needs. For example, Farmak produces medicines (Amizon, Nazoferon, Gropivirin, Pelorsin) that can be used to treat and prevent influenza and ARVI,” the company said.
Ukraine reduced the export of poultry and offal by 0.5% in January-April 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, to 137,850 tonnes, the State Customs Service said.
According to the service’s data, in monetary terms the export of such products decreased by 10.4%, to $178.62 million.
The import of poultry and offal decreased by 33.4%, to 25,870 tonnes, in monetary terms by 33.4% as well, to $10.96 million for the four months of 2020.
According to the State Customs Service, pork export grew 1.9 times, to 941 tonnes. The products were delivered for $2.62 million, which is 2.5 times more than in January-April 2019.
The import of pork to Ukraine decreased by 61.5%, to 3,500 tonnes, in money terms by 56.5%, to $7.22 million for the first four months of 2020.
Ukraine reduced egg exports by 29.4%, to 37,170 tonnes, in money terms by 29.5%, to $33.44 million in the reporting period. The import of eggs decreased by 56.5%, to 892 tonnes, in monetary terms by 61.5%, to $3.09 million in January-April 2020.
The net international reserves of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in April increased by 4.7%, to $16.83 billion after a decrease of 9.4% in March, according to the regulator’s website. According to the report, in general for the four months of 2020, the National Bank’s net international reserves increased by 6.6%, or by $1.04 billion.
As reported, the net purchase of foreign currency by the central bank in the interbank foreign exchange market in April amounted to $678.8 million, while in March it spent $2.2 billion to support the hryvnia.
Net international reserves are calculated as the excess of foreign exchange reserves over the liabilities of the National Bank in foreign currency.
Ukraine increased coke and semi-coke exports by 2.8 times compared to the same period in 2019б to 10,627 tonnes.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service, the export of coke and semi-coke in monetary terms increased by 12.2%, to $1.020 million during that period.
The majority of deliveries were made to Slovakia (70.59% of supplies in monetary terms) and Poland (29.41%).
Ukraine imported 92,886 tonnes of coke and semi-coke in January-April 2020, which is 76.2% less compared to the same period in 2019. In monetary terms, imports decreased by 82.3%, to $21.302 million. The import was mainly from the Russian Federation (76.40% of supplies in monetary terms), Poland (9.5%) and Hungary (7.19%).
The losses of winter crops due to drought in Ukraine in the entire country are estimated at 234,000 ha, which is 2.6% of all areas with winter crops, the Ministry for Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture has told Interfax-Ukraine. According to the ministry, the most affected by the drought are winter rape crops – 103,000 ha, wheat – 74,000 ha, barley – 53,000 ha, and peas – 1,300 0 ha.
Potential crop losses in 2020/2021 agri-year for winter wheat are 216,650 tonnes, winter rape – 211,890 tonnes, winter barley – 150,820 tonnes, sugar beets – 50,030 tonnes, peas – 3,050 tonnes, winter rye – 539 tonnes.
At the same time, the Economy Ministry estimates the possible loss of revenue for winter rape at UAH 2.14 billion (19% of the possible income from crops), winter wheat – UAH 0.99 billion (3%), winter barley – UAH 0.63 billion (12%), and sugar beets – UAH 0.03 billion (2%).
“In March-April this year, there was rainfall deficit throughout Ukraine. As a result, spring air drought developed and deepened, which combined with soil drought in many areas of the southern regions,” the ministry said.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal expects in 2020, after the quarantine is over, a meeting of the Ukrainian-Italian Council on Economic Cooperation and the holding of a common business forum.
“After the quarantine is over, we expect to hold a meeting of the Ukrainian-Italian Council for Economic Cooperation and organize a joint business forum as part of the visit of Prime Minister of Italy Giuseppe Conte to Ukraine this year,” the government’s press service quoted Shmyhal as saying following a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to Ukraine Davide La Cecilia and a delegation of representatives of Italian companies operating in Ukraine.
The Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Ukraine Mr. Davide La Cecilia, in turn, added that Ukraine is of interest for investors.
“Italy is one of Ukraine’s first commercial partners at the global and European level, and we have set a goal of increasing investment and deepening economic cooperation,” said Cecilia.
The parties agreed to intensify cooperation in various areas of the economy, in particular, in the development of energy, agribusiness and infrastructure.
