In January-August 2024, Ukrzaliznytsia JSC (UZ) increased its cargo transportation by 24.3% compared to the same period last year, to 118.04 million tons, according to an analytical note prepared for a meeting of the Exporters’ Office on Wednesday.
The volume of cargo transportation in August 2024 increased by 15.5% compared to the same period in 2023 (1.9 million tons), amounting to 14.18 million tons, which is 4.2% more than in July 2024.
“Massive missile attacks have significantly affected the state of the energy sector, certain industries, and transport infrastructure, which affects the dynamics of cargo transportation,” the analytical note says.
The volume of export transportation in January-August increased by 65.8% to 57.74 million tons. According to the results of eight months of 2024, the share of cargo exports in the total volume of transportation amounted to 49% compared to 37% in the same period of 2023.
In August 2024, the volume of cargo transportation for export amounted to 6.58 million tons, which is 2.8% more than in July 2024. At the same time, compared to August 2023, when 3.3 million tons were exported, the volume of cargo transportation for export doubled.
The volume of exports through land crossings in January-August decreased by 6.9% year-on-year to 21.31 million tons. As of August 2024, the volume of cargo exports via land crossings amounted to 2.5 million tons, which is 2.4% less compared to July 2024.
In January-August, the volume of cargo exports via ports increased 3.1 times to 36.42 million tons. As of August 2024, the volume of cargo exports to ports amounted to 3.9 million tons, which is 6.5% more than in July 2024.
In January-August, 92.3% of all rail transportation to ports was accounted for by the ports of Greater Odesa, and 7.7% by the Danube ports.
Grain remains the leader in exported cargo, with a volume of 2.63 million tons in August, accounting for 40.1% of the total. Iron and manganese ore came in second place at 2.32 million tons (35.3%), followed by ferrous metals at 0.57 million tons (8.6%). Construction materials accounted for 0.48 million tons (7.2%), ranking fourth in total cargo exports in August, the company said.
“The metallurgical and agricultural sectors retain the status of the basis of Ukrainian exports in the current environment. Sea routes remain the main channel for supplying Ukrainian goods to foreign markets,” the note says.
Earlier, Yevhen Lyashchenko, Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia JSC, said that the company suffered losses of UAH 600-700 million in July-August and expects a small loss by the end of 2024, despite profitable operations in the first half of the year. According to him, this was due to the lack of profitable cargoes that provide a safety margin.
Estimated number of population in regions of Ukraine based on number of active mobile sim cards (mln)
Open4Business.com.ua
The Textile-Contact trading and production group of companies (TC-Group) plans to achieve a gross turnover in 2024 at approximately the level of 2023, but a slight decrease in this figure is possible, said the group’s owner, Alexander Sokolovsky.
“I don’t think there will be any growth, I don’t see any big jumps yet. But our production capacities are fully utilized, just like last year and in 2022,” he said at the Forbes Ukraine Business Breakfast on Wednesday.
Sokolovsky did not name the gross turnover figure for 2023, but noted that it is easy to calculate based on the fact that the UAH 443 million in taxes paid in 2023 is 14% of gross turnover (i.e., a turnover of about UAH 3.2 billion – IF-U).
At the same time, he reminded that in 2022 the group paid about UAH 285 million in taxes, which means that in 2023 this amount increased by 55%.
According to the owner of TK Group, the peak demand for light industry products was in 2022, when, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the initial “chaos,” a lot of orders appeared, in particular from Europe, which wanted to support Ukraine.
“Even if it was possible to buy more conveniently and cheaper, they ordered from Ukraine. Unfortunately, this trend disappeared later, and many European customers are no longer interested in our offers because they are afraid to place orders in Ukraine, especially near the front line or near the border with Russia,” Sokolovsky explained.
According to him, the group’s main strategy, which allows it to compete in international markets, is to develop production in Ukraine rather than move it abroad.
“When many people were moving production to China or Southeast Asia, we, on the contrary, were developing here, even though we were told that it was wrong. But over the past five years, the number of our factories has grown from seven to 12, in particular, last year we added the production of bags, this year – shoes, and we are expanding the production of clothing,” Sokolovsky said.
At the same time, he said that a partner from Poland may appear in the shoe production project at the Chyhyryn factory, but he has not yet announced any details.
Answering the question about the share of exports in total turnover, he suggested that over the past two years it has increased to about 15%, but mostly these are the products of TK-Home Textile, which participates in tenders of international organizations, in particular in Germany, Poland, and the UK, competing with companies from Turkey, China, and other countries.
“But we are planning to enter Europe, and while we are developing a production base in Ukraine, we offer finished products to Europeans. Our first representative office in the EU, in Lithuania, is still developing a client base – we have not yet achieved much there because there are many bureaucratic procedures in Europe, but we plan to come up with a proposal to develop social clothing and sew it in Ukraine,” Sokolovsky said.
At the same time, the owner of the group said that the biggest problem for the group is human resources (the majority of employees are women).
“We see that no matter what conditions you create and what salaries you promise, many women leave because they are uncomfortable in terms of blackouts, safety, many are nervous and leave because they are scared,” Sokolovsky said.
Speaking about the group’s plans for the heating season, he said that the companies mostly use generators, and the group does not have the funds to purchase, for example, gas-piston stations.
“To buy such a station, you need about EUR 850 thousand. We don’t have that kind of money, so we are currently using generators,” said the owner of the group of companies.
At wholesale markets of Ukraine this week there was recorded a decrease in selling prices for pears from local farms, analysts of the EastFruit project report. The reason for this price situation, according to market participants, is the seasonal increase in the supply of these products on the market, while the demand of wholesale companies for these fruits remains inactive.
Thus, today pears from local farms on the Ukrainian market are offered for sale in large wholesale at UAH 15-30/kg ($0.36-0.73/kg), which is on average 25% cheaper than a week earlier. According to the results of regular monitoring, prices for pears in the current season continue to gradually decline, starting from the middle of August this year, which is a consequence of constantly increasing supply of products on the market.
It should be reminded that in the current season due to milder weather conditions in winter-spring period in Ukraine, the average yield in the pear segment has significantly increased. As a result, a significant increase in production had a negative impact on the price situation on the market. As an exception here we can single out Vinnitsa region of Ukraine, where in spring of the current year producers lost 30% and more of future fruit crop due to frost and hail. But in general, this had little effect on the overall market condition in this segment.
If we compare the situation on the pear market in Ukraine with other countries of the project monitoring region, it is in this country that the most affordable pears are currently on sale. This fact once again shows the growing interest of Ukrainian gardeners in growing these fruits in the last few seasons.
It should be noted that today the selling prices for pears in Ukraine are already on average 32% cheaper than in the same period last year. You can get more detailed information about the development of pears and other fruit and vegetable products market in Ukraine by subscribing to the operative analytical weekly – EastFruit Ukraine Weekly Pro. Detailed information about the product can be found here.
Source: https://east-fruit.com/novosti/tseny-na-ukrainskie-grushi-na-32-nizhe-proshlogodnikh/
Leaders of the insurance market of Ukraine on the collected premiums in January-July 2024 became insurance companies SG “TAS” (UAH 2,553 billion), “ARKS” (UAH 2,371 billion), “Unica” (UAH 2,329 billion), “INGO” (UAH 1,952 billion) and IC “VUSO” (UAH 1,732 billion), according to the website of the National Association of Insurers of Ukraine (NASU). It is noted that in comparison with 6M2024 IC “Unica” dropped to the third position from the second, and IC “ARKS” took its place; IC “USG” left the top five from the fifth position, allowing IC “VUSO” to enter the top 5.
There have been no changes in the top-5 in the market of compulsory motor third party liability insurance in terms of premiums collected and following the results of seven months the leaders are SG “TAS” (UAH 775,3 mln), “Oranta” (UAH 739,3 mln), “Knyazha VIG” (UAH 570,6 mln), “ROM” (UAH 360,4 mln) and “VUSO” (UAH 244,4 mln).
The leaders in the market of “Green Card” on collected premiums for the specified period are “TAS” (UAH 754,5 mln), “USG” (UAH 405,5 mln), “Knyazha VIG” (UAH 372,1 mln), “ROM” (UAH 310,5 mln) and “Oranta” (UAH 227 mln) (no changes).
There are also no changes in the CASCO market: as before, it is headed by IC “ARKS” (UAH 1.256 billion), “Arsenal Insurance” (UAH 1.034 billion), “Unica” (UAH 622.6 million), “VUSO” (UAH 531.3 million) and “USG” (UAH 495.1 million).
At the same time, there have been slight changes among the leaders in voluntary medical insurance: the leader, as well as earlier top-5 in this segment, is IC Unica (UAH 1,018 billion), followed by IC Universalna (UAH 560 million), IC INGO (UAH 422,7 million). IC “VUSO” (UAH 328,4 mln) has risen from the fifth position to the fourth, and “ARKS” (UAH 324,5 mln) has taken its place.
In July 2024 there were no changes in the leaders of the life insurance market. As before, the first position is occupied by IC “MetLife” (UAH 1.506 billion), IC “TAS” (UAH 388.4 million), “Grave Life” (UAH 311 million), “Unica Life” (UAH 230.9 million) and “ROM Life” (UAH 217.1 million).
As reported, as of the end of July 2024, 69 risk insurers operate in the insurance market of Ukraine, 12 specialize in life insurance, one – with a special status (“Export Credit Agency”, ECA).
PJSC Kyivvodokanal and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine are preparing for the pollution coming along the Desna River to Kyiv, which is forecast to reach Kyiv region on September 14-16, but treatment facilities should cope with it, said the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Svetlana Hrynchuk.
“If initially Ukrgidrometcenter predicted that the pollution will reach the water intakes of Kievshchyna somewhere on September 10-11, now this forecast has already shifted to 14-16. It should also be said that pollution is not recorded in Kyiv region,” she said on the air of the Unified National Telethon on Wednesday.
The Minister added that now the Department sees an improvement in the situation, water treatment facilities of the water channel should cope with this type of pollution.
“Also installed additional nets, additional such physical barriers to prevent and dead fish, in order to additionally not polluted,” – said Grinchuk.
According to her, the pollution recorded in the areas of the Desna River in Chernihiv region is no longer as homogeneous as it was before, and is fixed point by point.
According to Hrynchuk, to help all living things in the river, in particular fish, aeration units have been installed. Three of them worked in the Chernihiv area. It was decided to install two more such systems additionally from September 10.
“That is, to date the situation is controlled, we carry out constant monitoring and (take – IF-U) those measures that can improve the situation,” – summarized Hrynchuk.
