Agroholding Astarta, the largest sugar producer in Ukraine, in July will invest UAH 500,000 in the installation of a technological line for the production of inverted sugar syrup at Novoorzhytske sugar plant (Novoorzhytske, Poltava region), the release of the first batch of products is planned for August 2021, the company’s press service said.
“The main consumers of inverted syrup will be Ukrainian beekeepers. This product can be used to feed bees, since it allows you to preserve the offspring of bee colonies and increase their productivity. Our product will allow beekeepers to increase the efficiency of their apiaries, introduce modern technologies in this process and maintain a leading position in honey production in the world,” curator of the project Ivan Chepak said.
According to the company, inverted sugar syrup is also in demand in confectionery industry, and if the pilot project is successfully implemented, Astarta will expand its production and expand sales markets. Developing this project, the company is increasing the volume of products with a higher degree of processing, forming the added value of its products, the report explains.
As reported, Astarta is a vertically integrated agro-industrial holding operating in eight regions of Ukraine. It includes five sugar factories, agricultural enterprises with a land bank of 220,000 hectares and dairy farms with 22,000 animals, seven elevators, a biogas complex and a soybean processing plant in Poltava region (Globino Processing Plant LLC).
FOREIGN TRADE TURNOVER BY THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITIONS JAN-MARCH 2021 (IMPORT)
Exports ofgrains and oilseeds in the 2020/2021 marketing year (MY, September-August) will amount to 46.8 million tonnes, which is a quarter less than in the record 2019/2020 MY.
According to the website of the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA), citing data from grain traders, the maximum export volume of these crops in the current season will not exceed the values specified in the annexes to the memorandum between the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture and market participants.
The UGA clarified that the rate of grain export in the current MY is significantly lower than last year’s indicators, which is due to the conjuncture of world markets.
The association expects that wheat exports in the current season will not exceed 16 million tonnes, which is significantly lower than the volume specified in the appendix to the memorandum of 17.5 million tonnes. Corn exports in the current season will not exceed 22 million tonnes, which is also below the limit set in the annex to the memorandum – 24 million tonnes.
As reported, Ukraine exported 37.71 million tonnes ofgrains and legumes since the beginning of 2020/2021 MY, which is 23.6% less than on the same date of the previous MY.
According to the information and analytical portal of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine, to date, 14.78 million tonnes of wheat, 18.19 million tonnes of corn, 4.12 million tonnes of barley and 102,200 tonnes of flour have been exported.
Ukraine, following the results of work of metallurgical enterprises in May 2021, increased steel production by 13% compared to the same period in 2020, to 1.851 million tonnes, taking 14th place in the ranking of 64 countries-major global producers of these products, compiled by World Steel Association (Worldsteel).
In May, an increase in steel production was recorded in all countries of the top ten.
The top ten steel producing countries in May 2021 are as follows: China (99.450 million tonnes, an increase of 6.6% compared to May 2020), India (9.2 million tonnes, an increase of 46.9%), Japan (8.422 million tonnes, an increase of 42.2%), the United States (7.249 million tonnes, an increase of 47.6%), Russia (6.560 million tonnes, an increase of 14%), South Korea (5.950 million tonnes, plus 10.5%), Germany (3.475 million tonnes, an increase of 35.5%), Turkey (3.235 million tonnes, an increase of 42.4%), Brazil (3.160 million tonnes, an increase of 40.1%) and Iran (2.550 million tonnes, an increase of 7.7%).
This is followed by Italy (2.210 million tonnes, an increase of 18.8%), Taiwan (China, 2 million tonnes, an increase of 13.5%), Vietnam (1.945 million tonnes, an increase of 48.5%), Ukraine (1.851 million tonnes, an increase of 13%) and Mexico (1.670 million tonnes, plus 44.7%).
In general, in May of this year, steel production increased by 16.5% compared to the same period last year, to 174.376 million tonnes.
For the five months of this year, the top ten steel producing countries looks like this: China (473.1 million tonnes, an increase of 13.9%), India (48.609 million tonnes, an increase of 33.6%), Japan (39.951 million tonnes, an increase of 9.1%), the United States (34.773 million tonnes, plus 10.6%), Russia (31.865 million tonnes, an increase of 7.9%), South Korea (29.297 million tonnes, an increase of 6.9% ), Germany (17.013 million tonnes, an increase of 13.6%), Turkey (16.350 million tonnes, an increase of 21.2%), Brazil (14.942 million tonnes, an increase of 20.3%) and Iran (12.520 million tonnes, an increase of 9.2%).
This is followed by Italy (10.559 million tonnes, an increase of 27.3%), Taiwan (China, 9.614 million tonnes, an increase of 6.4%), Ukraine (8.987 million tonnes, plus 8.3%), Vietnam (8.855 million tonnes, an increase of 41.3%) and Mexico (7.754 million tonnes, plus 10.6%).
In total, 64 countries produced 837.473 million tonnes of steel in the five months of 2021, which is 14.5% more than in the same period last year.
The Governments of Ukraine and China are working on the preparation of a visa waiver agreement between the countries, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Ukraine Fan Xianjun said.
“We are now actively working to sign an intergovernmental agreement on a visa-free travel between China and Ukraine,” the ambassador said at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday.
He said the signing of such a document would provide maximum travel facilities for nationals of the two countries and would promote mutual understanding and mutually beneficial cooperation between the states.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has called on representatives of the French business MEDEF International, who are on an official visit to the country, to participate in investment projects in Ukraine, the press service of the head of state reports.
In particular, the president drew the attention of investors to the implementation of the Big Construction national program. He called on French business to take part in the modernization of the road infrastructure of Ukraine within the framework of public-private partnership projects.
Among the large-scale investment projects, Zelensky also named railway communication, IT sphere, modernization and management of ports, airports, construction of metro and underground tunnels, etc. At the same time, the head of state emphasized the need to localize production in Ukraine.
Zelensky also proposed that Airbus, with which there is already a contract for the supply of helicopters, consider the possibility of participating in the implementation of a project to create a national Ukrainian air carrier and study the issue of attracting Ukraine to the production of the company’s products.
French businessmen confirmed their interest in cooperation in the mentioned areas.
“Today France is the sixth largest investment in Ukraine. Not a bad indicator, we can be glad. But we understand that it is better and much more can be done,” Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, the president of MEDEF association, said.
Reportedly, some of the Ukrainian-French investment projects are already underway.
“A contract has been signed with Alstom company for the supply of 120 locomotives for the Ukrainian railway with partial localization of production in Ukraine (in the amount of 35%),” the report says.
In total, Ukraine and France have recently concluded intergovernmental agreements for more than EUR 1.3 billion.
The delegation of MEDEF association, which arrived in Ukraine, includes representatives of 20 large French companies from many sectors.
