The harvest of corn, according to preliminary estimates of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, in 2024 will be 25 million tons, sunflower – 12 million tons, soybeans – 5 million tons, said Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Vitaly Koval in an interview with Forbes Ukraina.
“Ukraine did not receive about 2% of early grains compared to last year’s harvest. This group did not suffer as much as late crops. Soybeans, buckwheat, corn and sunflower suffered the most. They have a shortfall of about 10-15% depending on the region. However, this is not critical for the food security of the country,” he said.
Koval expressed confidence that in the new season the structure of crops will not change globally compared to last year. At the same time, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy has concerns about winter rape: there is not enough moisture to sow it.
“In total, about 5 million hectares of winter crops will be sown,” summarized the Minister of Agrarian Policy.
The volume of completed construction works in Ukraine in January-June 2024 increased by 50.2% compared to the same period of 2023 – up to UAH 82.4 billion, according to the data of the State Statistics Service. In June-2024, the index of construction products exceeded the index of June-2023 by 13.8%, and the previous month – by 88.3%, notes the State Statistics Service.
According to the State Statistics Service, in January-June 2024 to the same period in 2023, the growth of construction was observed in all segments. Thus, in residential construction growth amounted to 27.9% (up to UAH 11.7 billion), in non-residential – 44% (up to UAH 20.9 billion), in engineering – 59.8% (up to UAH 49.6 billion). Construction output indices for the above categories in the first half of the year amounted to 116.8%, 131.6% and 146.1%, respectively.
According to the seasonally adjusted data of the department, the indices of construction products in June-2024 in residential construction amounted to 43.2%, in non-residential construction – 98.4%, in engineering – 124.1%, and taking into account the effect of calendar days, the indicators are 43.8%, 93.9% and 100%, respectively.
The share of new construction to the total volume of completed construction works in the first half of the year amounted to 43.7%, repair – 29.4%, reconstruction and technical re-equipment – 26.9%.
The State Statistics Committee notes that the publication of data was postponed due to martial law. Statdata indicators are given without taking into account the temporarily occupied territory and part of the territory where hostilities are (were) conducted.
“In 2024, the Defense Procurement Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has contracted more than 400,000 UAVs of all types – with few exceptions, these are all Ukrainian-made drones, said Maryna Bezrukova, director of the Defense Procurement Agency.
“In 2024, we have already contracted more than 400 thousand UAVs of all types. From small FPVs to diplomatic strikes that hit targets deep behind enemy lines. With few exceptions, these are all Ukrainian-made drones. In the last two weeks alone, we have signed 21 contracts for drones worth more than UAH 3 billion,” she wrote on Facebook.
At the same time, Bezrukova explained that since the Defense Ministry is an agency of the Defense Ministry, this imposes certain specifics.
“We can only contract weapons that are on the list compiled by the General Staff and approved by the Ministry of Defense. The list is a small and highest-priority part of the large need collected from the military, for which funding is provided. Because the budget is really limited,” she said.
The director also reminded that the Defense Industry can only contract weapons that have received NATO codification and only those manufacturers that have confirmed their production capabilities to the military missions of the Ministry of Defense.
According to her, the Defense Industry is in constant contact with manufacturers, receives feedback and initiates changes that simplify the work and reduce the time to contracting. In particular, Bezrukova noted that the inspection by military missions has already been significantly simplified. The director emphasized that there is “still a lot of room to make the UAV contracting procedure, as provided for by the Ministry of Defense’s regulatory framework, simpler and more transparent.”
“Unfortunately, the opponents of the Agency’s work are now doing everything possible to destroy our reputation. For example, they are pouring money into spreading the news that the Agency has purchased a specific UAV at inflated prices. Although in fact we did not contract it at all. All this is a sign that we are on the right track. And we will be happy to go through it together with the manufacturers,” she emphasized.
Quotes of interbank currency market of Ukraine (UAH for 1 PLN, in 01.06.2024-30.06.2024)
Open4Business.com.ua
The State Enterprise Guaranteed Buyer (Guaranteed Buyer) has announced the first auction in Ukraine for the distribution of the green generation support quota.
According to the state enterprise, 11 MW of solar power generation capacity is up for auction, with a starting price of 9 euro cents/kWh.
Applications are accepted until October 30.
The auction itself will be held on October 31 at 12:55 in the state electronic trading system Prozorro.Sale.
The auction will be held with a decreasing price.
According to the auction requirements, the solar power plant must be located on the left bank of the Dnipro River, except for the areas of military operations.
To participate in the auction, a bank guarantee in favor of Guaranteed Buyer in the amount of EUR 5/kW of the power plant’s capacity or its queue must be provided. To sign the contract, the winner of the auction must provide Guaranteed Buyer with a bank guarantee in the amount of EUR 15/kW of capacity, under which the winner is entitled to support based on the results of the auction. The remuneration of the operator of the authorized electronic platform is EUR 0.8/kW.
“The government has created all the conditions for holding the most transparent auctions for the distribution of state support for renewable energy producers. This is another step towards European integration and the implementation of best practices in supporting green energy in Ukraine,” Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko commented on the auction announcement, as quoted in the ministry’s website on Friday.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers, by its resolution of August 13, set an additional quota for support for business entities that produce electricity from alternative energy sources in the amount of 110 MW for 2024, of which wind farms – 88 MW, and solar power plants and other types of renewable energy sources (biomass, biogas, small hydropower plants) – 11 MW each.
The SPPs must be located on the left bank of the Dnipro River, and the auction for them will be held in October; there are no territorial restrictions for wind farms and other types, and the auctions are scheduled for November.
The contract with the State Enterprise Guaranteed Buyer for the provision of services under the market premium mechanism with the winner of the auction will be valid for 12 years.
For solar and wind power plants, the maximum selling price for electricity is 9 euro cents/kWh. For other types of alternative energy sources – 12 euro cents/kWh.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has begun a meeting with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in New York, Voice of America reports.
Zelenskyy is on a visit to the United States, where he has already met with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
