KYIV. Oct 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine and the U.S. are renewing cooperation in fulfilling the NASA contract to provide space equipment services (CRS) for the International Space Station. The modernized rocket booster of the medium class Antares launched from a U.S. flight facility on Monday.
The information center of the state-run Yangel Pivdenne Design Bureau (Dnipropetrovsk) said the Antares rocket with Cygnus space transporter on Tuesday, October 18 blasted off from an island off the coast of Virginia at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.
The Cygnus transporter will deliver around 2.4 tons of useful gear: provisions, food and scientific equipment to the International Space Station (ISS). It will also utilize waste from the orbiting laboratory.
Tuesday’s launch was the sixth mission to deliver cargo to the ISS by Orbital ATK, a company contracted by NASA to ferry cargo to the ISS through 2018. At least five more launches are scheduled before then, and six more from 2019 to 2024.
Ukraine and the U.S. continue negotiations on cooperation in rocket propulsion engine production.
KYIV. Oct 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Metro Cash & Carry Ukraine LLC (Metro C&C, Kyiv) is mulling investment in local production of meat and dairy food aiming to boost its market share, Metro Cash & Carry Ukraine Offer Management Director Adrian Ariciu has said.
“We are first interested in those items where we can boost the market share. Among the most interesting segments for Metro C&C are dairy and meat products. We are seriously studying this market. We plan to invest in it,” he said at the Retailers CEO Summit: “It’s Time for Local Brand Breakthrough” in Kyiv.
Ariciu said that this is vertical integration, purchase of local companies that would produce goods only for Metro C&C.
“For some items today it is 50% cheaper produce goods in Ukraine than in China. We are mulling the opportunities for investing into local production – both acquisition of business and long-term leasing. We are interested in fresh food and non-foods,” he said.
Ariciu said that 42% of all food on Metro C&C’s shelves is made in Ukraine. He said that this share is not enough and could be increased. He also said that the company changed the imports structure in the past several years. The share of Russian goods fell from 12% to almost a zero in the past two years. The company had to replace some items imposed from Italy by cheaper goods from Poland.
Metro Cash & Carry Ukraine LLC was founded in 2003.
It unites 23 Metro shopping centers and three Beri-Vezi wholesale centers in Ukraine.
KYIV. Oct 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The State Energy Efficiency Fund will start work in April 2017, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Services Hennadiy Zubko has said.
“First of all, we have the task by the end of the year [2016] to adopt legislative framework for the fund. We believe the fund can start absolutely active operations from April 1, 2017 when the heating season is over,” Zubko said at the forum “Energy Independence. Establishing Energy Efficiency Fund” in Kyiv.
According to him, the draft law on the Energy Efficiency Fund has been developed and is now to be considered and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. In addition, the deputy premier emphasized the importance of passing bills by the Ukrainian parliament on housing and utilities services, on the commercial accounting of housing and utility services and on the energy efficiency of buildings that are needed to run the fund.
According to Zubko, the bill on the energy fund will be constantly monitored by international partners, including representatives of the European Union and the government of Germany, which will participate in financing the fund.
OSLO. Oct 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has called on Norwegian companies to take part in privatization in Ukraine, where Norway will assist Ukraine in implementing important reforms.
“I have invited Norwegian companies to participate in privatization processes in Ukraine and was assured that the Norwegian government will provide full support in these processes,” Poroshenko said at a press conference on Tuesday in Oslo (Norway).
He said that the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on the path of reforms in Ukraine.
“We have also discussed the issue of cooperation and support of the Norwegian OSCE mission in Ukraine, and I am grateful to Norway that the country is actively involved in this process,” the president said.
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg at a press conference in Oslo on Tuesday said that her country is disposed to strengthen cooperation with Ukraine. “Today we have signed a joint political declaration, which explains the purpose of our further cooperation,” she said.
She said Norway will assist Ukraine in implementing important reforms and contribute to its economic and political stability.
“Ukraine is moving forward, but there is still a lot of work and it requires political commitment,” Solberg said.
KYIV. Oct 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – UkrAgroConsult consulting agency anticipates that areas with fodder peas would expand by 10-15% in Ukraine in 2017.
“This year the areas with fodder peas broke a five-year record – 320,000 ha. I am sure that the areas next year would expand by 10-15%. The areas with niche leguminous crops are estimated at 30,000 ha. We predict that they would expand by 20-25%,” Director General of the analytical center of UkrAgroConsult Serhiy Feofilov said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.
He said that despite the expansion of fields with leguminous crops their yield remains low.
“One of the important factors of pea planted areas expansion was an impressive increase in profit-making from these crops,” he added.
According to UkrAgroConsult, in 2015/16 agricultural year Ukraine tripled exports of beans, to 6,120 tonnes compared to the previous year. Over 80% of beans was exported to EU, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Moldova and Turkey. Chickpea exports totaled 6,910 tonnes and lentil – 568 tonnes.
Deputy Agricultural Policy and Food Minister of Ukraine Olha Trofimtseva said that now the ministry jointly with the Indian Embassy is designing a project to stimulate leguminous crops planting in Ukraine.
She said that planting of leguminous crops is a promising direction for Ukrainian farmers. The ministry is interested in its promotion, including exports.
KYIV. Oct 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) plans in December 2016 to hold an auction for the sale of 70% in Khmelnytskyoblenergo, 70% in Mykolaivoblenergo, 65% in Kharkivoblenergo and 51% in Ternopiloblenergo, according to the fund’s website.
A tender for the privatization of 60% in Zaporizhiaoblenergo is scheduled for January 2017, and 71% in Cherkasyoblenergo for February 2017.
According to the State Property Fund, the privatization of a 78% stake in Centrenergo is to be held in May-June 2017.
