The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the report for August improved the forecast for the export of Ukrainian wheat in the 2021/2022 marketing year (MY, July-June) by 2.5 million tonnes compared to the forecast in July, to 23.5 million tonnes.
The forecast for wheat harvest in Ukraine in the new marketing year has been increased by 3 million tonnes compared to the July forecast, to a record 33 million tonnes. As noted in the USDA, this figure has been increased due to the expansion of the area under this crop, as well as due to its higher yield this season.
In the August report, the USDA also improved the forecast for the corn crop and its exports from Ukraine in 2021/2022 MY by 1.5 million tonnes compared to the July forecast. Thus, corn production is expected to grow from 37.5 million tonnes to 39 million tonnes, its export – from 30.5 million tonnes to 32 million tonnes. As explained, the forecast for corn harvest in Ukraine has been increased, as the reduction in acreage under this crop is more than offset by an increase in its yield prospects.
As reported, since the beginning of 2021/2022 MY and as of August 6, 2021, Ukraine has exported 3.63 million tonnes of grains and legumes, which is 12% more than on the same date of the previous MY. It also exported 1.31 million tonnes of barley (23.2% more compared to the same date in 2020/2021MY), 1.25 million tonnes of wheat (a quarter less), 1.05 million tonnes of corn (2.1 times more), 13,500 tonnes of flour (1.6 times less).
Ukraine in January-July 2021 reduced electricity exports by 24.1% (by 678.2 million kWh) compared to the same period in 2020, to 2.131 billion kWh, according to the data of Ukrenergo.
According to the calculations of the Interfax-Ukraine agency, in particular, supplies from the Burshtyn TPP energy island in the direction of Hungary, Slovakia and Romania decreased by 16.6% (by 295.2 million kWh), to 1.484 billion kWh.
Electricity supplies to Poland decreased by 39.8% (353.8 million kWh) compared to the same period last year, to 534.1 million kWh.
Electricity exports to Moldova decreased by 13.2% (by 17.2 million kWh), to 113 million kWh.
There were no deliveries to Belarus and the Russian Federation in January-July 2021 (against 12 million kWh to Belarus for the seven months of 2020).
In July 2021, Ukrainian electricity exports amounted to 366.3 million kWh, which is 2.8 times more than in July 2020 (133 million kWh).
In addition, Ukraine in January-July 2021 reduced electricity imports by 44.5% (by 791 million kWh) compared to the same period last year, to 987.3 million kWh, in particular Belarus supplied 522.6 million kWh, Slovakia – 258.4 million kWh, Russia – 101.9 million kWh, Hungary – 66.4 million kWh, Romania – 38 million kWh.
In July 2021, electricity imports amounted to 1.2 million kWh against 21.8 million kWh in July 2020.
Within the framework of technological flows associated with the parallel operation of the integrated power system of Ukraine with the power systems of neighboring countries and power supply of dead-end areas, 32.9 million kWh of electricity were imported from the Russian Federation over the seven months, and 600,000 kWh from Belarus.
Emergency supplies from Slovakia during this period amounted to 200,000 kWh, from Belarus – 9.7 million kWh, to Belarus – 400,000 kWh, to Poland – 8.5 million kWh.
In January-July of this year, the main pipe enterprises of Ukraine increased output of pipes from ferrous metals, according to recent data, by 21.2% compared to the same period last year, to 569,600 tonnes, including 96,200 tonnes produced in July. The Ukrtruboprom association told Interfax-Ukraine, in particular, that the enterprises of the association during this period increased production of pipes by 23.6%, to 377,700 tonnes. In particular, in July, the enterprises of the Ukrtruboprom association increased production by 81.5% compared to the same period last year, and by 7.3% compared to the previous month, to 70,800 tonnes.
According to Heorhiy Polsky, the General Director of Ukrtruboprom, Interpipe Niko Tube and Trubostal are showing positive dynamics, which over the seven months increased their pipe production by 78.4% and 20%, respectively. At the same time, Centravis reduced production of stainless steel pipes by 8%, and Interpipe Novomoskovsk Pipe Plant reduced production of electric-welded pipes by 33.4%. At the same time, Dnipropetrovsk Pipe Plant continues to be idle.
“The world economy continues to recover after the pandemic, therefore, a favorable situation remains in foreign markets. This allows the enterprises of the association to increase production of seamless pipes for the fifth month in a row,” the General Director of Ukrtruboprom said.
“Separately, it is worth noting the growth in the supply of premium pipe products. Our enterprises take on more orders with complex requirements,” the top manager said.
He also said that since the beginning of the year, all markets have seen an unprecedented rise in prices for raw materials, mainly for iron ore and scrap metal. Producers of welded pipes, which have reduced production since the beginning of this year, still feel the negative impact of the rise in strip prices and cannot resume normal operations.
In turn, a source in the industry told the agency that after pipe-rolling production of Interpipe Nyzhniodniprovsky Pipe Rolling Plant formally became part of Interpipe Niko Tube since April of this year, the statistics of pipe production at these enterprises has changed. According to the updated statistics, there was no pipe production at Interpipe Nyzhniodniprovsky Pipe Rolling Plant in June-July. Whereas at Interpipe Niko Tube, production amounted to 67,600 tonnes last month, and over the seven months the production growth at this enterprise reached 78.4%, to 299,700 tonnes.
Pipe production at Interpipe Novomoskovsk Pipe Plant over the seven months decreased by 33.4%, to 28,900 tonnes (in July, 1,500 tonnes).
Dnipropetrovsk Pipe Plant was idle during this period, while in January-July 2020 it produced 300 tonnes. Centravis cut production by 8%, to 10,300 tonnes of stainless pipes (1,500 tonnes).
Trubostal increased its output by 20%, to 1,200 tonnes of pipes (200 tonnes).
Mariupol-based Illich Iron and Steel Works, which is not part of the Ukrtruboprom association, has increased production of pipes by 10.4, to 91,400 tonnes (in July – 10,700 tonnes), and Kominmet – by 23.9%, to 100,500 tonnes (14,700 tonnes).
The system of cyber protection of state information resources of Ukraine and critical infrastructure facilities at monitoring facilities in the period from 4 to 10 August 2021 recorded 746, 600 suspicious events, which is 42% less than the previous week.
According to the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine on Thursday, the vast majority of recorded suspicious events concern attempts to obtain user rights (36%), obtain administrator rights (19%), violations of corporate security policy (21%).
The system of secure access of state bodies to the Internet blocked 56,600 different types of attacks, which is 13% less than in the previous week. Of these, 97% are application-level network attacks, and one DDoS attack has also been recorded and blocked.
The government team for responding to computer emergencies in Ukraine CERT-UA during this period registered and processed 1,860 cyber incidents.
The vast majority of incidents handled belong to the UACOM domain zone (about 99%). The main number of incidents concerns the spread of malware (44% of the total) and fishing (55%).
Revenues from income tax in August 2021 compared to August 2020 may double, the head of the parliamentary committee on finance, taxation and customs policy, Danylo Hetmantsev, has said.
“Some 214.5% (UAH 37.1 billion) more was charged this month in income tax compared to last year. In addition, according to forecasts, in August taxpayers will pay twice as much year-on-year income tax (UAH 35.3 billion),” he wrote on Telegram.
At the same time, he stressed that the increase in revenues is not associated with the payment of tax in advance.
“No payment of income tax in advance. No calls to taxpayers with requests to transfer money to the budget. Just de-shadowing,” he said.
Some 32,000 tourists have visited the Chornobyl exclusion zone since the beginning of the year, assistant director of the state enterprise Center for Organizational, Technical and Information Support of the Exclusion Zone Management (COTIS) Kyrylo Harnyk has said.
According to him, the data are relevant for August 11. Earlier, in 2019, it was planned to reach 1 million tourists a year, but in 2020 the tourist flow has decreased significantly.
“We have already managed to get better results than in 2018, when we received 36,000 tourists for the whole year, but we are unlikely to achieve the results of 2019, with 124,000 tourists,” Harnyk said during a roundtable talk on the preservation of Prypiat and Duga facilities in Chornobyl on Thursday.
As reported, in February 2021, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the State Agency for Tourism Development and the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management signed a memorandum on the promotion of visits to the territory of the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.
