The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has lowered its July forecast for Ukraine’s wheat production in the 2025-2026 marketing year (MG, July-June) by 1 million tons compared to the June forecast, to 22 million tons (by 4.35%), while leaving its forecast for corn unchanged and raising its forecast for soybeans by 1 million tons, to 7.6 million tons (by 15.15%).
According to the US agency’s forecast, published on its website, wheat exports from Ukraine have been reduced by 1 million tons to 15.5 million tons, while final stocks have been increased by 0.1 million tons to 1.59 million tons.
Ukraine has significant reserves of titanium, graphite, manganese, lithium, uranium, and other critical materials and will work to establish production of components for batteries, solar panels, and defense technologies, This vision for the development of critical materials (CRM) was presented by Deputy Minister of Economy Andriy Telyupa at the URC2025 Recovery Conference in Rome.
“The goal is to attract more than $2 billion in investments and launch more than 20 projects in five years. In the future, Ukraine should become not only an exporter of raw materials, but also a production base for green and defense tech within the EU,” he wrote on Facebook.
According to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, unlike previous programs, URC2025 included two separate events dedicated to CRM: a session and a workshop. Among the participants, in addition to representatives of the Ukrainian government, were representatives of the DFC, EBRD, DECOMAR, DG GROW, Chemours, Horizon Capital, TechMet, and BGV Group Management.
In addition, Telyupa presented Ukraine’s industrial strategy concept at the conference, which aims to create a modern economy with high added value to strengthen the country’s security and integrate it into EU production chains.
“The focus is on sectors where we have competitive advantages: machine building, steel, titanium, lithium, graphite, as well as the IT sector and renewable energy. By the end of 2025, we will finalize the strategy, with implementation planned for 2026-2030.
We are developing it jointly with the World Bank, the OECD, UNIDO, and the Kyiv School of Economics,“ the deputy minister said.
He also presented the ”Industrial Ramstein” initiative, created by analogy with the Defense Rammstein format, to mobilize international assistance for the restoration and modernization of industry.
“The initiative provides for the transfer of equipment as humanitarian aid through G2G mechanisms, partial procurement financing programs, the involvement of export credit agencies to cover risks and reduce the cost of loans, B2B missions, staff training, and certification of production facilities in accordance with international standards,” Telyupa explained.
According to him, in addition, the URC2025 presented the “Green Platform,” a digital catalog of over 60 green financing programs for businesses, communities, and enterprises, created in collaboration with the Green Transition Office and integrated into the Made in Ukraine portal.
“(The catalog) will become a single point of entry for anyone looking for funding for energy-efficient, resource-saving, and low-carbon solutions,” said the deputy minister.
According to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko also signed a new project with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) worth $188 million from the Japanese government for green industrial reconstruction.
Telyupa emphasized that this project involves technology transfer and the creation of joint ventures with Japanese companies. Within its framework, more than 30,000 Ukrainians will acquire new skills, and Ukrainian manufacturers will test and implement more than 40 advanced technologies in agro-processing, circular economy, IT, renewable energy, water, energy efficiency, and telemedicine.
On July 10, 2025, the Franco-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFU) awarded Ukrainian women entrepreneurs for the seventh time as part of the “Created by Women” competition aimed at supporting female entrepreneurship.
This year, the competition received 435 applications from businesswomen from different regions of the country with projects in a wide variety of fields: agriculture, education, health, defense, sustainable technologies, traditional Ukrainian crafts, and more.
It was extremely difficult for the jury to select the winners, as all the contestants were strong and worthy.
The ten finalists were narrowed down to one winner: Iryna Koval, head of Brammer LLC (Kyiv), who received 200,000 UAH from CCI France Ukraine to develop her business, as well as free membership in the CCFU for one year.
BRAMMER is part of a group of companies that has been involved in metalworking for over 15 years, and with the start of the full-scale invasion, it switched to the production of Brammer tactical wheelchairs, which serve as evacuation vehicles to save the lives of military personnel and civilians and help the military transport ammunition, provisions, and equipment. These wheelchairs have helped save over 120,000 lives. The company donated over 8,500 units to 90 units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces free of charge.
Second place, 100,000 UAH, and a special award from UKRSIBBANK for business development went to Lyubov Lysenko, director of BIOBALANS LLC (Poltava), an agricultural company engaged in biological plant protection.
Third place, 100,000 UAH, went to Maria Ksondzyk, Nesemos Veteran Auto Hub, a car service that repairs evacuation vehicles free of charge, trains veterans in new professions, and converts cars for people with disabilities.
A special award and 100,000 hryvnias from Yves Rocher went to Olena Dovgopolova, INAKSHI architects.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/UkrDiplomatic
Over the past few decades, poultry farming has become the most dynamic and widespread type of animal husbandry in the world. Chickens, the main link in this industry, have gone far beyond traditional subsistence farming and have become the main source of animal protein for billions of people. Experts Club analysts have studied global changes in chicken breeding between 1990 and 2023, recording unprecedented growth and structural transformations in the industry.
“Poultry farming has become a symbol of the new consumer economy: fast production, low cost, adaptability to global demand. That is why chicken is replacing other types of meat around the world,” said Maksim Urakin, PhD in Economics and founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
In the early 1990s, the total number of chickens in the world was estimated at 10 billion (in thousands of heads). Even then, this figure exceeded the number of any other type of farm animal. However, the real leap forward took place in 2000–2020. By 2023, the total number of chickens in the world exceeded 29 billion, i.e., it almost tripled in three decades. This means that there are approximately 3.6 chickens per person on the planet, considering the total world population of over 8 billion.
This explosive growth can be explained by several key factors. First and foremost is economic efficiency. Chicken is the cheapest meat to produce, requiring significantly less feed, water, and time to raise than pork or beef. In the context of global urbanization, rising incomes, and changing eating habits, chicken has become a “universal” product: it is consumed equally in the US, Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Egypt.
In addition to economics, religious and cultural factors are equally important. Unlike pork and beef, which are restricted in consumption due to religious prohibitions in Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism, chicken is acceptable in almost all traditions.
This makes it a globally universal source of protein. “Chicken is a compromise protein. It is acceptable everywhere, inexpensive, quick to process, and that is why it has become the standard of the 21st century,” Urakin emphasized. Technical innovations play an equally important role.
From the 1990s to the 2020s, the poultry industry has undergone a technological revolution: automated incubators, genetically improved broilers, controlled growing conditions, biosecurity, and strict quality monitoring have become the norm in large agricultural countries. This has significantly increased the industry’s productivity. On average, the cycle of raising a broiler to market size has been reduced from 70 to 42 days.
Geographically, the largest chicken producers are China, the US, Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Russia. At the same time, African countries are experiencing rapid growth in domestic production, focused on both food security and reducing dependence on imports.
However, the growth dynamics of the livestock population also carries risks. The increasing density of chicken farming creates an increased epidemiological burden, which is particularly evident in the form of outbreaks of avian influenza. In addition, critics point to animal welfare issues, excessive use of antibiotics, and methane emissions from poultry farms.
“Modern poultry farming must find a balance between productivity and society’s ethical requirements. This is a new challenge that the industry has not faced before,” said Maksim Urakin.
In the coming years, further growth in chicken consumption is expected, particularly in low-income countries, as well as an expansion of exports from Brazil, Thailand, and Ukraine. However, alternative proteins — plant-based and cell-based products already entering the market — may pose increasing competition to poultry farming.
For a more detailed overview of trends in poultry farming and graphs showing changes in livestock numbers, see the video on the Experts Club YouTube channel.
agroanalytics, chickens, EXPERTS CLUB, global livestock farming, poultry farming, МАКСИМ УРАКИН
According to preliminary forecasts, on July 22, Ukraine is expected to experience a very sharp rise in air temperature, reaching +35 and possibly +40 degrees Celsius or even slightly higher, according to weather forecaster Natalya Didenko.
“On Thursday and Friday, July 17-18, fresh air will break through over a significant part of Ukraine, albeit briefly, and the air temperature will drop to an unlikely +18+25 degrees, and in the south and east to +26+30 degrees. However, by next weekend, the thermometers will creep back up again. I don’t want to scare you in advance, but at the beginning of next week, tentatively on Tuesday, July 22, according to preliminary forecasts, Ukraine is expected to experience a very high jump in air temperature, that is, above +35 and probably up to +40 degrees and even slightly higher,” she wrote on her Telegram channel on Sunday.
Didenko noted that “this is a preliminary forecast because it is too far away.”
The admission campaign is in full swing at the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUBA) – creative competitions for applicants began in early July. Among those taking exams this summer are Ukrainian defenders. In particular, veteran Vadym Honcharenko and several of his comrades have decided to enroll at KNUBA. They have chosen modern and sought-after specialties, such as architecture, industrial and civil engineering (ICE), physical education and sports (coaching), cybersecurity, as well as a field to which the university pays special attention – ecology and environmental protection technologies (EPT). According to the veterans, they understand the importance of higher education and retraining: new knowledge will help them join the great reconstruction of the country and find themselves in a peaceful life. Vadym Honcharenko, who uses a wheelchair, notes that continuing his education is both a challenge and an opportunity for him. For the university and the Ukrainian Veterans Cluster, this case highlights the relevance of accessibility issues: they are now jointly seeking funding to adapt the educational space to the needs of students with disabilities.
“The war will end sooner or later, but education and reconstruction will definitely continue. We need to prepare for this now,” said Natalia Goncharenko, head of the Ukrainian Veterans Cluster, quoting a well-known opinion about the inevitability of peace and development. As the leader of a veterans’ organization, she emphasizes the need to invest in veterans’ knowledge today. Natalia added that the admission campaign is ongoing, and those who wish to obtain a master’s degree on a budgetary basis still have a chance to submit their documents—the state and partners provide separate funding opportunities for veterans. Thanks to the efforts of the Veterans Cluster and KNUBA, with the support of business partners, a program of special scholarships for veterans and their families has already been launched. The first benefactor of this initiative was Axor Industry. At a recent event dedicated to the launch of the Re:Veterans Platform reintegration program, Axor’s Deputy Marketing Director Olena Krekina presented a program of cooperation between employers on internships and employment for veterans. As a stakeholder representative, Olena is preparing to teach at the university starting next academic year in order to directly share her experience with veteran students.
These innovations are being implemented in line with the state policy of supporting defenders. On July 11, KNUBA and the Ministry of Veterans Affairs signed a memorandum of cooperation that expands opportunities for training and professional adaptation for veterans in Ukraine. “For the university, the veteran program is a response to one of the main challenges facing the country. We help veterans gain a new profession and return to civilian life with relevant knowledge and skills,” said KNUBA Rector Oleksii Dniprov. According to Deputy Minister for Veterans Affairs Yulia Kirillova, combatants and their families can now obtain a master’s degree at KNUBA free of charge, as well as obtain another specialty based on a previously obtained diploma. In addition, veterans and their children can study at colleges affiliated with the university under a state program (CMU Resolution No. 432). For its part, the university provides the Ministry with expert support in creating a modern infrastructure for veterans. In particular, specialists from KNUBA and the Institute for the Reintegration of Veterans “Architecture of Resilience” are involved in developing the concept of “veteran spaces” — a network of multifunctional support centers for veterans and their families. It should be noted that KNUBA students who are children of veterans are already eligible for compensation for one year of study. All these steps are designed to ensure a smooth transition from military service to a successful civilian career for our defenders.
Veteran reintegration: employment and entrepreneurship after the war
The Ukrainian Veterans Cluster emphasizes that the most important result of all educational initiatives is a veteran (and their family) who is employed or a veteran entrepreneur who has started their own business. The goal is not only to obtain a diploma, but also to enable defenders to become economically independent and successful in peaceful life. Global experience confirms that the integration of veterans into the economy through education, work, or entrepreneurship gives a powerful impetus to the development of a country.
“Veterans are not only a force that protects, but also a force that builds,” emphasizes Axor, a company that supports veteran initiatives. The main task is to help defenders realize their potential in peaceful life. In Ukraine, this philosophy is already being implemented through retraining programs, partnerships with businesses, and support for entrepreneurship among former military personnel. After all, every veteran who finds employment or starts a successful business is not only a personal victory for the soldier, but also a contribution to the sustainable development and recovery of the country.
