Due to a decline in exports and a lull in the global milk market during the winter holidays, raw milk prices in Ukraine are stabilizing, and from the beginning of January, purchase prices are expected to decline, according to the Association of Milk Producers (AMP).
The AMP noted that the average purchase price of extra-grade milk, as of December 25, amounted to 19.60 UAH/kg (excluding VAT), which is 0.2 UAH more than a month ago. The prices for premium milk remained unchanged at 18.64 UAH/kg (excluding VAT) and first-class milk at 17.65 UAH/kg (excluding VAT). The weighted average price of the three milk grades amounted to 18.63 UAH/kg (excluding VAT), which is 0.7 UAH more than the previous month.
The industry association noted that in the second half of December 2024, purchase prices stabilized due to a decrease in demand for raw milk in Ukraine and surpluses in the market. This is due to a decrease in dairy exports during the Christmas holidays.
In addition, lower butter prices in the US, New Zealand, and Europe are restraining the exports of Ukrainian companies and holding back the growth of raw milk prices in the country.
“In 2024, butter prices were the main driver of raw milk prices growth. Further decline in butter prices is likely, as stocks of the product accumulate in warehouses. The decision of Poland to bring to the market a thousand tons of butter from its own strategic reserves to help stabilize prices for the product had a certain impact on the decline in butter prices,” the AMA explained.
The industry association suggested that the increase in the supply of raw milk in Ukraine is likely to be associated with a decrease in sales of dairy products due to lower purchasing power. Ukrainians with lower incomes are refusing to buy dairy products due to rising prices. Accordingly, demand for spreads as a cheaper alternative to butter is growing.
Experts expect a decrease in purchase prices from the beginning of January 2025 due to a possible increase in surplus raw milk on the domestic market.
As reported, in November 2024, the slowdown in dairy exports was caused by a shortage of raw milk, rising production costs due to falling global dairy prices, and a seasonal decline in the market ahead of the holidays.
Ukraine has restricted the import of meat products from a number of European Union countries due to the registration of African swine fever (ASF) in them, the Eastern Interregional Directorate of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection (Eastern Directorate of the State Service) reported.
According to the report, the ban applies to products from a number of zones in Latvia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Romania, Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Italy, Estonia, Greece, and Bulgaria.
The State Consumer Service noted that Ukraine recognizes the zoning for African swine fever introduced by the European Union in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/54.
In this regard, the ban applies to the territories of the II and III zones for the import of animals belonging to the porcine, tayas and tapir family, as well as genetic material and products from them.
This refers to products obtained in the above-mentioned zones where, at the time of issuance of the certificate, no infection of domestic pigs with the ASF virus was reported within 12 months before the date of slaughter of the animals from which fresh meat was obtained. The ban also applies to meat of animals originating from farms or obtained from slaughterhouses in/around which, including the territory within a radius of 10 km, ASF was not detected within 40 days before the date of slaughter.
At the same time, the ban does not apply to products that have been processed by a method that guarantees the destruction of the causative agent of this disease in accordance with the requirements for the import (shipment) into the customs territory of Ukraine of food products of animal origin, feed, hay, straw, as well as by-products of animal origin and products of their processing, processing, approved by Order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food No. 553 of November 16, 2018.
African swine fever (Montgomery’s disease) is a contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, first recorded in 1903 in South Africa. It cannot be treated or vaccinated. The spread of the virus can only be stopped by quarantine measures.
ASF is not dangerous for humans, but it causes economic losses, as all animals in the infected area must be destroyed.
Electricity imports in December 2024 increased by 2.7 times compared to November – up to 433.4 thousand MWh, while exports fell by 6.1 times – to 6.8 thousand MWh, according to data on the Energy Map portal.
Thus, according to Energoreforma’s calculations based on these data, electricity imports in December-2024 exceeded exports by 63.7 times.
Most electricity was imported from Hungary – 152.33 thousand MWh (35.16%). This was followed by Slovakia – 107.08 thousand MWh (24.71%), Poland – 91.98 thousand MWh (21.23%), Romania – 70.78 thousand MWh (16.34%), and Moldova – 11.12 thousand MWh (2.57%).
Hungary also ranks first in terms of exports – 2.99 thousand MWh (43.96%) were supplied there. Romania exported 1.58 thousand MWh (23.17%), Moldova – 1.06 thousand MWh (15.56%), Slovakia – 1.04 thousand MWh (15.33%), Poland – 0.14 thousand MWh (1.99%).
In total, in 2024, electricity imports amounted to 4.44 million MWh, which is 5.5 times higher than in 2023 (806.4 thousand MWh). The largest amount of electricity was imported in June – 858.38 thousand MWh, the smallest in February – 84.09 thousand MWh.
Exports in 2024 amounted to 348.43 thousand MWh, which is almost at the level of 2023 – 366.5 thousand MWh. The largest amount was exported in March – 154.1 thousand MWh, the smallest in September – 0.69 thousand MWh. No exports were made in June-August.
As reported, in November 2024, imports decreased by 9% compared to October – to 165 million kWh, exports to Europe decreased by 31% – to 41.9 thousand MWh.
Despite the overall shortage of electricity caused by Russia’s massive attacks on the power grid, Ukraine has a surplus at certain hours, including when renewable energy generation is active and at night, which allows it to export. An alternative to exports is, in particular, a forced limitation of electricity production from renewable energy sources, which should be compensated by NPC Ukrenergo. Due to the surplus, other types of generation should also reduce their capacity.
Metinvest Mining and Metallurgical Group, as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative, has mastered the production of armor protection for the MIM-104 Patriot control module, which protects the Ukrainian sky from enemy attacks.
According to the group’s press release on Friday, Metinvest engineers have already mounted the first armor on the air defense system’s operational control module.
At the same time, it is noted that Metinvest continues to actively expand its line of protective products for the Ukrainian army, which increases the level of security and protects the lives of defenders and military equipment. The company has mastered the production of steel shields for the main domestic T-64 and T-72 tanks, American M1 Abrams tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and is preparing to integrate them into various Leopard 2 modifications. The soldiers have already received more than 300 screens.
Oleksandr Myronenko, Head of Steel Production for the Ukrainian Army at Metinvest and Group Chief Operating Officer, noted that the defenders of the sky also need reliable protection.
“Since this is one of the main areas of the Steel Front initiative, in which we have extensive experience, it is not surprising that we have been entrusted with such a responsible mission. In a month and a half, we created a project from scratch and manufactured a shield for the crew of the Patriot air defense system from Metinvest’s Ukrainian armor steel according to the drawings, which guarantees protection against fragmentation damage to both the defenders and the air defense control system. Our experienced engineers also supervised the installation of the armor,” explained Myronenko.
The company clarified that Metinvest engineers have set up the production of a unique armor patch for the Patriot air defense system’s brain center, which controls the air defense system. The crew protection against shrapnel damage is made of 30KhN2MA steel, which has improved wear resistance, strength, toughness and resistance to mechanical stress.
The armor consists of nearly 200 elements – plates of armored steel up to 8 mm thick that protect the air defense control center. The total weight of the armor exceeds 2.6 tons, but this does not affect the functionality or mobility of the complex. A team of project engineers worked on the creation of the Patriot air defense system’s armor, supervising the work of turners, fitters, mechanical assemblers, and electric and gas welders.
The Patriot system is an anti-aircraft missile system. The core of the system is the AN/MPQ-53 Patriot radar. This is a multi-purpose radar with a passive phased array antenna (PFAR) operating in G- or H-bands. Patriot uses advanced air-to-air interceptor missiles and highly effective radar systems. The maximum range of airborne targets is 170 km.
PJSC Yuzhny, a leading grape producer in Ukraine, will pay UAH 7.301 million in dividends to its shareholders in 2024 at the rate of UAH 0.44 per ordinary share.
According to the company’s announcement in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), the company’s supervisory board made the decision at an extraordinary remote shareholders’ meeting.
The Supervisory Board noted that it would approve the list of persons entitled to receive dividends on January 13, 2025, and that they will be paid in the period from January 14 to June 27 of this year in the full amount in proportion to the share of each shareholder.
According to the Opendatabot resource, PJSC Yuzny is one of the top twenty grape producers in Ukraine and ranks 11th in the financial results of 2023.
Founded in 1998 in the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district of Odesa region, Yuzhny PrJSC specializes in growing grapes, grains, legumes and oilseeds.
In 2023, the company’s revenue amounted to UAH 23.85 million, net profit – UAH 5.271 million, debt obligations – UAH 11.378 million, assets are estimated at UAH 53.606 million. The authorized capital of the company is UAH 4.137 million. The company’s beneficiary is Danil Morshchagin.
On Friday, benchmark oil prices continued to rise after rising in the previous session.
This is due to both expectations of economic growth in China and, accordingly, an increase in demand for oil from the world’s largest importer, and a continued decline in US stocks, Trading Economics reports.
The market is also supported by forecasts of colder weather in many parts of the United States, MarketWatch notes.
Quotations for March futures for Brent on the London ICE Futures exchange as of 7:09 a.m. amounted to $76.08 per barrel, which is $0.14 (0.2%) higher than the level at the close of the previous trading. On Thursday, these contracts rose by $1.29 (1.7%) to $75.93 per barrel.
The price of February futures for WTI in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) in the morning rose by $0.23 (0.3%) to $73.34 per barrel. At the end of the previous session, the quotations of these contracts increased by $1.41 (2%) and reached $73.13 per barrel, which is the highest since mid-October, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
At the end of 2024, the price of Brent fell by 3.1%, while WTI remained virtually unchanged.
US oil inventories fell by 1.178 million barrels in the week ended December 27, the US Department of Energy said on Thursday. They declined for the sixth consecutive week.
Gasoline reserves increased by 7.717 million barrels, distillate reserves – by 6.406 million barrels.
