In February 2025, Ukraine imported 963 tons of pork, which is three times more than in January of this year, according to the Ukrainian Pig Association (UPA).
“The revival of import activity took place against the backdrop of an unconventional increase in purchase prices for the season. Instead, the average price of a kilogram of imported meat raw materials was lower than the minimum price level of last year, which was recorded in January – $1.89 per 1 kg and $1.92 per 1 kg at the end of winter,” analysts said.
According to their information, the products imported to Ukraine do not compete with Ukrainian pork, so imports still do not affect prices.
“Since the domestic supply of pork this year is less than the previous year, during the period of increased demand for meat in spring and summer, imports may increase, and the range of such products will be more diverse. For example, if prices in European markets, where we import the lion’s share of pork, decline while prices in Ukraine remain high, it will be economically justified to import cheaper raw materials. In this case, the pressure on the domestic market and its pricing from imports will increase, but we are not seeing this yet,” the industry association said.
Although February imports are the largest in the last 14 months, according to representatives of the meat industry, its presence on the market is still almost imperceptible, experts say.
In January and February 2025, pork exports remained at least 292 tons per month, so the total for the first two months amounted to 587.4 tons, or $1.6 million in monetary terms.
At the same time, the geography of foreign trade in Ukrainian pork remains limited. The main buyer countries for Ukrainian pork are Hong Kong, where 30% of external shipments were sent, the UAE – 22%, Malaysia and Georgia – 13% and 10%, respectively. The remaining Ukrainian pork was exported in small volumes to Bahrain, Liberia, and South Korea.
President of the United States Donald Trump has promised that on Monday, March 17, there will be news about the ceasefire talks with Ukraine and Russia. He said this in an interview with journalist Sheryl Attkisson, answering a question about his communication with Putin.
“We are dealing with him, and I think it’s a reasonable thing to do. The situation is very complicated, you know, it’s a bloody, terrible war. I think everything is going well. You know, we have a ceasefire agreement with the Ukrainians. And we are trying to get it with Russia. And I think that so far it’s gone well. We’ll know a little bit more on Monday. And I hope it goes well,” Trump said.
On Sunday, March 16, at night in Ukraine (except southern and south-eastern regions) rain, in the north and west of the country with wet snow; in the afternoon in the south-western, central and most eastern regions rain (in the Carpathians wet snow), in the rest of the territory without significant precipitation, reported Ukrhydrometcenter.
At night in the western and northern regions in places sticking of wet snow, ice, on the roads icy. The wind is northeastern, northern, 5-10 m/s.
Temperature at night in western, northern, Vinnitsa and Cherkassy regions from 3° warm to 2° frost (in Volyn and Rivne regions up to 5° frost), during the day 3-8° warm; in the rest of the territory at night 4-9° warm, in the extreme south up to 12°, during the day 8-13° warm, in the south and south-east of the country 15-20°.
In Kiev on Sunday night wet snow, in the afternoon without significant precipitation. The wind is northeast, north, 5-10 m/s. The temperature at night 0-2° frost, during the day 5-7° warm.
According to the Central Geophysical Observatory named after Boris Sreznevsky. Borys Sreznevsky in Kiev on March 16, the highest daytime temperature was 13.7 in 1937, the lowest nighttime temperature was -18.0 in 1942.
On Monday, March 17, in Ukraine, light wet snow and rain (moderate rain in the east of the country); at night in most western, northern and central regions without significant precipitation.
Wind is predominantly north-westerly, 7-12 m/s, with gusts of 15-20 m/s in the afternoon in western regions.
The temperature in the western, northern, Vinnitsa, Cherkassy and Poltava regions at night 1-6° of frost, in the afternoon 0-5° of heat; in the rest of the territory at night 2-7° of heat, in the afternoon 6-11° of heat.
In Kiev on Monday night without significant precipitation, in the afternoon a little wet snow. The wind is predominantly northwesterly, 7-12 m/s. The temperature at night 1-3° of frost, during the day 2-4° of heat.
Austria will allocate EUR5 million to Ukraine for farmland clearance and EUR2 million to support the Grain from Ukraine program amid a visit by Austrian Foreign Ministry chief Beate Meinl-Reisinger to Kiev on Friday, Die Presse reported.
“For Meinl-Reisinger, the trip to Kiev is the ‘first real trip abroad’ in her new position, as Brussels, which she visited last week, is not really a visit to another country for her,” the publication wrote.
The European media outlet added that the Austrian foreign minister’s luggage includes a check for EUR5m to help demining agricultural land and EUR2m to supply Ukrainian grain to Middle Eastern countries that need it.
German Chancellor Jens Plötner’s security adviser, Jens Plötner, left unannounced for Washington on Friday for talks.
Together with his British counterpart Jonathan Powell and French President Emmanuel Bonn’s security adviser, they will meet with Mike Waltz, the US National Security Adviser, at the White House on Friday, Die Welt reports, citing diplomatic sources.
“The diplomatic lightning trip, which was organized at short notice, comes at a critical moment in the negotiations on a ceasefire in Russia’s war against Ukraine,” the newspaper reports.
Sweden will allocate $137.7 million for the restoration and development of Ukraine, as well as for its urgent humanitarian needs, Swedish Minister for International Development Benjamin Dusa said on Thursday.
According to him, this is the largest civilian aid program in Sweden’s history: it includes funds for infrastructure restoration, demining and training of medical workers.
Dusa added that support for Ukraine is, in particular, a matter of Swedish security.
