Purchase prices for slaughter pigs in mid-March increased by 4.5-6%, according to the Pig Producers of Ukraine industry association.
“Following the results of last Friday’s trading, operators revised the selling prices of live pigs by an average of 4.5-6% upward. Thus, in all regions of the country, most commercial batches of cuttings this week are purchased at 65-66 UAH/kg, although there are occasional price offers at the level of 67 UAH/kg. The weighted average market price stopped at 65.4 UAH/kg, which is 4.7% higher than the previous week,” analysts said.
As added in the association, the opinions of operators on further price dynamics are typically different. Some meat processors expect a change in the vector of price movement, stating sluggish sales, unfavorable weather conditions for more active consumption and the beginning of the pre-Easter fast. A number of others, on the contrary, note relatively even sales, so they do not expect a significant change in prices.
“We are not talking about a surplus of conditioned pork yet: in some places, there is information about an active supply of large animals from the population and/or small situational farmers, but in terms of volume and quality, according to a number of procurers, such a supply does not compete with industrial pork,” the industry association summarized.
The first container transportation through the Ukrainian Sea Corridor may be carried out within two to three weeks, said Yuriy Vaskov, Deputy Minister of Community, Territorial and Infrastructure Development.
“All five container terminals are ready to handle (containers – IF-U). Almost all of them are involved in transshipment of agricultural and other products. But containers are a priority, and they are negotiating. I hope that in two or three weeks we will get the first measures,” he said at a roundtable discussion on the challenges facing Ukrainian foreign trade organized by the Center for Economic Strategy on Thursday.
According to his forecast, terminals and container lines will resume work in stages: “first the first line, then the second, and then the third.”
Moreover, Vaskov noted that feeder ships will start moving, and container lines will follow them if there are no incidents.
Vaskov added that the Ministry of Reconstruction also hopes to resume road ferry service within two weeks, and rail ferry service in two months.
According to him, rail ferry transportation covers all types of cargo, except for dangerous goods.
The deputy minister noted that container services between Ukraine and Romania from the port of Reni and between Romania and Turkey from the port of Izmail are already operating in the Danube ports.
Vaskov added that the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company is also ready to transport containers up the Danube, but so far there have been no such shipments.
In total, he said, 1.8 million tons of cargo passed through the Danube in February, about 50% of the maximum reached in 2023, and together with the Ukrainian Sea Corridor, transportation in February reached almost 10 million tons, or 75% of the pre-war volume.
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a meeting with India’s Ambassador to Ukraine Harsh Kumar Jain, during which the interlocutors discussed areas of further cooperation, particularly in the issue of establishing a just peace in Ukraine, the Ukrainian presidential website reported on Thursday.
“The Head of the Office of the President highly appreciated the participation of Deputy National Security Advisor to Indian Prime Minister Vikram Misri in the fourth meeting of national security advisors and political advisors of the leaders of states in Davos on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula,” the report said.
The Head of the Ukrainian Head of State’s Office informed the Ambassador about the preparation of the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland at the level of state leaders and noted the importance of India’s involvement in this process together with other partners of Ukraine, in particular with the G7 countries and the Global South.
“We stand on the position of honest, open consultations, because we are set for decisions taking into account the recommendations of partners, in particular, yours. The peace summit is very important for us. We will be happy to see the representative of India,” Yermak said.
Andriy Yermak, Harsh Kumar Jain, INDIA, Office of the President, UKRAINE
The number of company defaults in January-February this year in the world reached 29 – the maximum since 2009, according to S&P Global.
Including in the U.S. the number of corporate defaults amounted to 17, in Europe – eight.
The global average for the same period in 2010-2023 slightly exceeds 16.
S&P attributes the rise in defaults to weak consumer demand, rising wages amid labor shortages and high interest rates.
In Ukraine started registration for the national multi-subject test (NMT) in 2024.
“From today begins registration for participation in the national multi-subject test (NMT). It will last until April 11 inclusive. This year the Ukrainian Center for Education Quality Assessment conducts registration in paperless form,” – stated in the press service of the Ministry of Education and Science.
It is noted that with the help of a special service enrollees need to independently create a personal account and perform a number of actions in it.
In particular, it is necessary to: specify registration data (contact information, category “graduate of the current year” or “graduate of previous years”, to indicate the need for special (special) conditions, to choose from the proposed list of subjects to choose from and the locality in Ukraine or abroad, where it is planned to take NMT, as well as the language of passing subjects of certification work); download scans or photocopies of registration documents; send the entered information and copies of documents for processing in the regional center for quality assessment
As reported, the NMT in 2024 will include three compulsory subjects (Ukrainian language, mathematics and history of Ukraine of 16-21 centuries) and one subject of the applicant’s choice (foreign language (English, German, French, Spanish), biology, physics and chemistry, Ukrainian literature and geography). Testing will take place during the main (May 14-June 25) and additional sessions (July 11-19).
State-owned Oschadbank (Kyiv) has put up for sale the Atmosfera shopping mall and Ramada Encore Kyiv hotel in the capital, 11 land plots in Kozyn (Kyiv region) and the right of claim to Niteko LLC for UAH 1.79 billion through the OpenMarket electronic trading system (SE SETAM of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine).
According to SETAM’s press service, the lot includes real estate in Kyiv at 103 Stolichne Shosse (buildings 1-4). They include an administrative and hotel center with an area of 39.5 thousand square meters, a shopping and entertainment center (31.6 thousand square meters) with a parking lot (16.8 thousand square meters), a two-level parking lot (17.5 thousand square meters) and other premises.
In addition, the lot also includes 11 land plots in Kozyn with a total area of 17.3 hectares for residential construction, as well as the rights to claim against LLC “Company Niteko” under the 2007 non-revolving credit line agreement, including the assignment of rights under security agreements.
“The well-known Kyiv shopping center and hotel are located at the intersection of three major highways towards the elite villages of Obukhiv district and Koncha Zaspa, so they are well served by traffic. This offer may potentially be of interest to major market players,” the press service quoted Oleksandr Mamro, CEO of SETAM, as saying.
The auction is scheduled for March 25. The guarantee fee is UAH 89.9 million.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Niteko is FC NGI Management LLC, and the ultimate beneficiary is Dmytro Buriak. At the end of 2023, the company reduced its net loss by 4.9 times compared to 2022 – to UAH 70.2 million, while net income increased by 69% to UAH 146.2 million.
As reported, Wyndham Hotel Group (WHG) opened its largest four-star hotel under the Ramada Encore brand in June 2012 as part of the Stolychnyi mixed-use complex (formerly Domosfera) at 103 Stolychne Shosse in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv.
The 22-storey hotel has 332 rooms and 58 apartments. The hotel’s infrastructure includes a conference center with a total area of more than 4 thousand square meters with 20 meeting rooms, a two-level parking lot for 1150 cars, two fitness centers, restaurants, a sushi bar and a summer terrace. The hotel is managed by DBI Hotels & Resorts (Switzerland).
The Atmosfera shopping and entertainment center (SEC) in Stolychny was opened on April 12, 2014. The mall has about 50 premium shops and boutiques, a food court, an entertainment area, a karting center, a fitness center, a cinema with restaurant service and an event hall with 800 seats.
The developer of the Stolychnyi mixed-use project is DeVision Group. The mixed-use complex also includes Domosfera shopping center with a leasable area of 30.7 thousand square meters, opened on May 16, 2009, and Europe business center of B+ class with a total area of 22 thousand square meters and parking for 300 cars. The total area of the mixed-use complex is 158.2 thousand square meters.
