The team of Astarta Agro Holding, the largest sugar producer in Ukraine, has successfully conducted a review audit to confirm the effectiveness of actions required to support the UN World Food Program (WFP), the press service of the agricultural holding reported on Facebook.
According to the report, WFP representatives confirmed the safety of the products supplied by the holding under various humanitarian programs after an on-site audit at one of the company’s sugar factories this fall.
“Astarta has been successfully cooperating with the UN World Food Program since the beginning of 2022. During this time, we have supplied about 18 thousand tons of products for humanitarian missions in Ukraine. Thanks to the involvement of new reliable small and medium-sized business producers in Ukraine – members of the holding’s agro-industrial ecosystem – Astarta has increased the volume and range of products that meet the needs of humanitarian aid, and in addition to sugar, it has become possible to supply canned beans and oatmeal,” the agricultural holding said.
“Astarta assured that it will maintain the volume and pace of current deliveries and expand cooperation with other Ukrainian producers in the framework of cooperation with WFP to provide food to people in emergencies, as well as work to improve the quality of food for its supply to vulnerable populations both in Ukraine and abroad.
“Astarta is a vertically integrated agro-industrial holding company operating in eight regions of Ukraine. It includes six sugar factories, agricultural enterprises with a land bank of 220 thousand hectares and dairy farms with 22 thousand cattle, an oil extraction plant in Globyno (Poltava region), seven elevators and a biogas complex.
In 2023, the agricultural holding reduced its net profit by 5.0% to EUR 61.9 million, and its EBITDA decreased by 6.1% to EUR 145.77 million, while revenue increased by 21.3% to EUR 618.93 million.
In January-November 2024, Ukraine increased imports of nickel and nickel products by 64.8% to $23.672 million. Nickel exports during this period amounted to only $585 thousand, which is 15% more than in the same period last year.
Nickel is used to make stainless steel and for nickel plating. Nickel is also used in the production of batteries, in powder metallurgy and in chemicals.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced talks with President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, during which the parties discussed issues of cooperation between the two countries.
“I spoke with the President of Serbia, thanked Aleksandar for supporting our country and our people. We discussed our cooperation – bilateral and also with other partners,” Zelenskyy said in a Thursday evening video address.
He noted that he greatly appreciates the Ukrainian-Serbian dialogue. “Maximum constructive relations for Ukraine and joint security with partners,” the Ukrainian president added.
The National Bank of Serbia (NBS) announced that at an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Board, new regulations were adopted, paving the way for the implementation of the state mortgage lending program for young citizens. According to the NBS representatives, these bylaws establish a clear regulatory framework, which is necessary for the implementation of the announced support measures for the purchase of the first home.
Under this program, it is planned to reduce the minimum down payment to 1% of the estimated value of the property, instead of the usual 10-20%. Studies conducted by the NBS have shown that such a measure is acceptable from the point of view of bank risk management, as the state is ready to provide guarantees and more favorable credit terms for this portfolio of mortgages.
In addition, banks are allowed to use the “loan to value” (LTV) indicator at the level of 99%, i.e. the borrower will only need to own 1% of the value of the apartment to be purchased. Also, financial institutions will have access to a reduced risk-indicator of 35% of the total amount of mortgage debt under the new program – this should encourage banks to more actively participate in granting loans to young buyers.
The NBS emphasized that the innovations will be useful both for borrowers, who get access to more affordable conditions for buying housing, and for the banks themselves, which are simplified the procedure for calculating risks. According to the official statement, the adopted regulations will enter into force eight days after the publication in Sluben Glasnik, and the implementation of the program can begin almost immediately, with the support of the guarantee mechanism from the Serbian government.
Source: https://news.relocation.rs/ipoteka-dlya-molodyh-v-serbii-nbs-snizha/
According to recent geological exploration data, lithium reserves at the Polokhivske deposit (Kirovohrad region) exceed 760 thousand tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (760 LCE kt), and Ukraine has significant potential for its extraction, said Ksenia Orynchak, Executive Director of the National Association of Extractive Industries of Ukraine (NADPU), in a commentary to Interfax-Ukraine.
“According to the latest geological exploration data for the Polokhivske deposit, the reserves exceed 760 thousand tons of lithium carbonate equivalent,” she said.
According to her, this deposit, which belongs to Ukrlithium mining, is one of the largest in Europe.
Orynchak reminded that there are four explored lithium deposits in Ukraine. Polokhivske is the only explored one where the owner holds a mining license. The others are Dobra (also in Kirovohrad region), Shevchenkivske (Donetsk region) and Kruta Balka (Zaporizhzhia region), the latter two located in the temporarily occupied territories.
“It is a fact that Ukraine has significant lithium mining potential. According to reputable studies, we are among the top three countries in terms of reserves, along with the Czech Republic and Serbia. (…) Ukraine is very favorably located geopolitically for the European Union,” the NAPRU head said.
Orynchak also disagreed with the opinion of Yegor Perelygin, Chairman of the Board of UMCC-Titanium – United Mining and Chemical Company JSC, who recently criticized the prospects for the development of Ukrainian lithium deposits due to low world prices for lithium, its surplus, high production and processing costs, and the need for significant investment in the face of high risks in Ukraine.
Earlier, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine estimated that the country has about 500 thousand tons of lithium.
