Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Ukraine took 2nd place among honey suppliers to EU

Ukraine’s share in honey imports to the EU in 2022 amounted to 24%, which allowed it to take second place among exporting countries, Beehive reported on Facebook, citing data from Eurostat and the European Federation of Honey Packers and Distributors (F.E.E.D.M.).

According to the report, in addition to Ukraine, the top countries supplying honey to the EU include China (36%), Argentina (10%), Mexico (7%), Turkey (4%), Cuba and Vietnam (3% each).

According to Beehive’s preliminary forecasts, the total amount of honey exported from Ukraine in 2023 will be 5-10% higher than in 2022.

“It can be noted that Ukraine holds its position in the market and has every chance to increase the number of exports, taking away market share from other major players,” the company summarized.

As reported, the investment holding EFI Group (Effective Investments) has started selling Ukrainian honey produced by one of its companies under the Beehive brand in UK supermarkets.

Registered in 2013, Beehive LLC’s production facilities of 5 thousand square meters are located in Cherkasy region. The daily output of finished products is 40 tons. The company’s capacity is designed to produce more than 10 thousand tons of honey per year. The company has two production lines: bottling in barrels and packaging in glass containers of various volumes for retail. Honey production complies with international standards such as Organic Standard, FDA, IFS Food, FSSC 22000, and Halal.

Effective Investments Group was founded in 2007 and is engaged in the implementation of business projects in Ukraine. It operates in various sectors of the economy: agriculture, pulp and paper industry, construction, gas industry, energy, creative industry, mechanical engineering and coal industry.

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“ASKA-Life” reduced premiums by 49%, increased payments by 36%

In January-September 2023, PJSC “Ukrainian Joint-Stock Insurance Company “ASKA-Life” (Kyiv) collected net and gross insurance premiums in the amount of UAH 117.5 million, which is 49% less than in the same period of 2022.
The company’s interim financial report, published in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission of Ukraine (NSSMC), does not include premiums to reinsurers.
According to the published data, for the first nine months of 2023, the company paid UAH 8.376 million to customers, which is 36% more than in the same period last year.
The company’s administrative expenses for the reporting period increased by 15.4% to UAH 9.436 million, while sales expenses decreased by 2.2 times to UAH 98.9 million.
The financial loss from operating activities for the first nine months of 2023 decreased to UAH 12.6 million from UAH 15.7 million compared to the same period in 2022.
Net loss amounted to UAH 1,058 million, which is 6.5 times less than in January-September 2022.
ASKA-Life Insurance Company was registered in 2003 and specializes in life insurance.
As reported on the website of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, as of the second quarter of 2023, 55.6667% of the company belongs to SCM Finance Limited, and 44.3333% to Alexander Sosis.

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Australia allocates $AU 20 mln for military aid package for Ukraine

The Australian government has allocated $AU 20 million for a military aid package for Ukraine, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during his visit to Washington, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Australia Vasyl Miroshnychenko said on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

“20 million Australian dollars (USD 12.7 million – IF-U) will be used to purchase new products from the Australian military-industrial complex, including anti-submarine weapons (Droneshield), mine-clearing equipment (Minelab), mobile X-ray machines (Micro-X) and industrial 3D printers (SPEE3D),” he wrote.

The ambassador also announced that the Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail reconnaissance aircraft has arrived at the Ramstein base and will begin its work in the airspace of Eastern Europe.

Vasyl Miroshnychenko thanked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Defense Minister Richard Marles and Minister of Defense Pat Conroy for their support of Ukraine.

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The bitcoin rate has risen above $35 thousand

The bitcoin rate rose above $35 thousand on Tuesday for the first time since May last year.
As of 18:15, it gained 9% and amounted to $34.362 thousand. During the session, the rate reached $35.142 thousand.
The rise in the value of bitcoin is driven by growing investor expectations that the United States will soon approve the creation of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for direct investment in cryptocurrencies, Market Watch reports.
In the past, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has repeatedly rejected applications from investment companies to launch such ETFs, arguing that there are high risks of market price manipulation. However, cryptocurrency industry experts believe that the situation will soon change.
On Monday, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that its August decision, which overturned the SEC’s earlier ban on the conversion of the Grayscale Investments cryptocurrency trust into a spot bitcoin ETF, should come into force.
Experts note that the emergence of such products on the market will facilitate the wider adoption of bitcoin.
If bitcoin ETFs are approved, we may see a “historic jump in the value of the cryptocurrency” and a market shift to a bullish trend, says Alex Adelman, CEO and co-founder of Lolli.
BlackRock Inc. and Fidelity Investments are among the companies ready to offer similar products.
This tool “will give institutional and retail investors new ways to grow their bitcoin investments within the current regulatory framework”, Adelman says.
The stock prices of cryptocurrency companies Coinbase Global Inc., MicroStrategy Inc., Riot Platforms Inc. and Marathon Digital Holdings Inc. are up 13%, 14.8%, 14.5% and 17.5%, respectively.

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Ukraine exported 41 thsd tonnes of new crop barley

Ukraine exported 41 thsd tonnes of barley of the new harvest due to the intensification of the work of Odesa ports, but the main demand is demonstrated by the domestic market. This was discussed on October 24 during the weekly briefing, according to the analytical cooperative “Start”, created within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council (AAC).

“Export demand for barley has intensified. In Odesa, the demand for barley with certification for deliveries to China at the price of about 118-120 USD/ton is recorded. These prices are announced for delivery to Odesa by November 10. As of November, 50 thsd tonnes of barley have already been sold for delivery to China. Therefore, we can expect further movement of the grain through Odesa ports. There will not be a big price increase, but the prices may rise by $5/ton,” the experts said.

According to their information, the Danube ports are not trading barley yet. Although the indicative price is 125-130 USD/ton, there is no real movement. Higher liquidity is recorded at the western borders (CPO) – 135-140 USD/ton on DAP terms, but the demand in this direction is low.

“The main demand is focused on the domestic market, with the main buyers of barley being the processing plants. So far, the purchase prices are at the level of 4500-4800 UAH/ton, no significant changes are expected in the coming weeks,” the UGA summarized.

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“Naftogaz” takes “Chernihivgaz” under its management

“Chernihivgaz” JSC has come under the management of “Naftogaz” Group, the company’s press service said on Tuesday.
“Chernihivgaz” became the 18th enterprise to come under state control.
The company delivers gas to almost 360,000 homes, regulates its distribution to budgetary and religious organizations, industrial facilities and municipal heating enterprises,
“Chernihivgaz” joined the “Naftogaz” Group as part of the transfer of gas distribution companies to state control. At present, personal accounts of customers, as well as tariffs for distribution services, remain unchanged”, the statement said.
As reported, at the end of May 2022, at the request of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the court transferred the seized private corporate rights to 26 regional and city gas distribution system operators to the management of the ARMA.
In September 2022, “Naftogaz” of Ukraine registered Gas Distribution Networks of Ukraine LLC (“Gazomerezhi”), whose main activity is gas distribution through local pipelines.
By Resolution No. 1335 dated November 25, 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers transferred state-owned gas distribution networks to “Gazomerezhy” for operation.

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