Ukraine ranked second in the ranking of world grain exporters in terms of total exports in the past 2019/2020 agricultural year, including the second in barley supplies, fourth in maize supplies, and fifth for wheat, Deputy Minister of Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture, Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka has said, referring to the data announced at the 52nd session of the International Grains Council.
“According to the results of the 2019/2020 agri-year, in aggregate in terms of the volume of exports of all grain crops, Ukraine became second, leaving behind only the United States,” Kachka said, commenting on the results of the session, in a press release from the Economy Ministry on Monday.
According to him, Ukraine has the potential to further increase the production and export of grain.
According to the estimates of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which data were used to compile the rating, in the previous agri-year Ukraine exported 21.01 million tonnes of wheat with a harvest of 29.17 million tonnes, 28.93 million tonnes of corn with a harvest of 35.89 million tonnes, and in general, grain exports amounted to 55.09 million tonnes with a harvest of 75.72 million tonnes.
In the current agri-year (2020/2021), the USDA forecasts the export of grain from Ukraine 45.81 million tonnes with a harvest of 64.21 million tonnes, including 24 million tonnes of corn with a harvest of 29.5 million tonnes and 17.5 million tonnes of wheat with a harvest of 25.5 million tonnes.
The State Agency for Infrastructure Projects (Ukrinfraproekt) and the Norwegian company Q-Free ASA have discussed the prospects for cooperation in 2021 regarding the installation of Weigh-in-Motion (WiM) complexes.
“Today we’ve met with representatives of the Norwegian company Q-Free ASA, who are interested in the development of a project for Weigh-in-Motion complexes in Ukraine. We discussed the prospects for cooperation in 2021 on the establishment of such complexes,” Head of Ukrinfraproekt Kyrylo Khomiakov said on Facebook.
At the same time, he noted that in 2020 Ukrinfraproekt installed 20 WiM complexes, in 2021 it is planned to install 28 such complexes.
Q-Free ASA (Trondheim) is a Norwegian company founded in 1984. It has offices in 16 countries of the world, the number of employees is about 380. Since 2002, it has been listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker QFR.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland discussed the expansion of the free trade agreement (FTA) and the liberalization of the visa regime.
“An important basis for the development of economic cooperation between Ukraine and Canada is the Free Trade Agreement, and currently, both parties face the ambitious task of expanding their impact on investment and services,” the government’s press service said.
Shmyhal stressed the importance of supporting free trade area in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“We believe that Canada’s policy of open international trade and export support, which is also pursued by Canada, is one of the measures to effectively counter the spread of the pandemic. I am convinced that these are the first steps on the path of work on the updated Free Trade Agreement,” the head of government said.
He expressed confidence that despite the difficult situation amid the fight against the pandemic, Ukraine and Canada will continue to actively develop bilateral cooperation.
“Trade and economic cooperation remain a priority of our cooperation. Each new challenge opens up new prospects for development, so we must consolidate our efforts to overcome the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic as soon as possible and continue to increase bilateral trade,” the prime minister said.
In turn, Freeland said that Canada is interested in expanding the Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine and is ready to work in this direction.
According to Shmyhal, Ukraine is completing the formation of its delegation for the relevant talks. The parties agreed that it is necessary to organize the work of an intergovernmental working group in the near future, which will draft a document.
In addition, the prime minister noted Ukraine’s high interest in visa liberalization and the readiness to host a group of Canadian experts in Ukraine to monitor the state of Ukraine’s compliance with Canada’s criteria.
Shmyhal told the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada about the “Crimean Platform” and invited Canada to join its activities.
In addition, the prime minister invited Freeland to Ukraine to celebrate the 30th anniversary of independence.
Mobile network operator Kyivstar has expanded its 4G network coverage in Volyn and Zhytomyr regions and connected 402 more settlements to new mobile technologies.
The press service of the company said on Thursday that in particular, in Zhytomyr region, high-speed mobile Internet appeared in the settlements of Andriyivka, Bilkivtsi, Zamyslovychi, Kalynivka, Korostyshiv, Lebedivka, Nemyrivka and in Volyn region in the settlements of Borokhiv, Volodymyr-Volynsky, Horodysche, Domanove, Liubeshiv, and Ruzhyn.
The operator said that in order to improve coverage, LTE900 technology was activated at 98 base stations.
According to the data provided, a total of 14,000 base stations of the operator support 4G communication, which makes it possible to access new mobile technologies for 87% of the population of Ukraine.
At the same time, the operator said that in 2021 it intends to continue developing the network to increase the population’s access to 4G up to 90%.
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) on January 21 will consider the applications of Nebras Power Investment Management B.V. (the Netherlands), a member of the Qatar group Nebras, for the acquisition of 50% and more in six companies operating solar and wind power plants of businessman Vasyl Khmelnytsky and his partners.
According to the committee’s agenda, the matter concerns providing 50% in Volyn West Wind-1 LLC, Volyn West Wind-2 LLC, as well as over 50% in Free Energy Henichesk LLC, Scythia-Solar-1 LLC, Scythia-Solar-2 LLC and Port Solar LLC.
The committee will also consider the issue of granting permission to Cyprus-based Enox Trading Limited and Serhiy Yevtushenko to establish Volyn Wind Cyprus Limited.
According to data on UDP Renewables’ website, SES Free Energy (18.3 MW) began generating electricity in November 2018, Scythia-Solar-1 (13 MW) in March 2019, Scythia-Solar-2 (33 MW) in July 2019, Port Solar (8.4 MW) in October 2019.
The declared capacity of two phases of Volyn West Wind is 57 MW and 56.8 MW.
UDP Renewables is an investment and development company in the renewable energy industry. The strategic investor in UDP Renewables is Vasyl Khmelnitsky’s holding company UFuture.
The State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine (Ukravtodor) during tenders in the state electronic trading system ProZorro has reduced the expected cost of building a new bridge in Kremenchuk (Poltava region) by 11%, or UAH 1.27 billion.
Ukravtodor reported the tender was won by the Turkish company Dogus Insaat Ve Ticaret with a final offer of UAH 11.249 billion – an agreement with it will be signed after the completion of all tender procedures.
“The fact that new international players appear in the road sector who are immediately ready to compete on equal terms with others is a sign of a healthy market. And another confirmation that the path we have chosen is working. I am sure that there are more such companies – and quality as well will grow,” Head of Ukravtodor Oleksandr Kubrakov said.
According to him, 95% of the materials that will be used in the construction of the bridge will be Ukrainian.
According to the feasibility study of the project, the new bridge will be cable-stayed, with four lanes, two in each direction. On the right bank of the Dnipro River, it will connect with the N-08 highway, on the left – with the existing street network of Kremenchuk. At these points, it is planned to build transport interchanges at different levels. The total length of the structures will be over 3 km.
Dogus Insaat Ve Ticaret will both design and build the new bridge crossing as the “design and build” tender was announced.
