In September 2024, Ukraine started importing potatoes from Poland and Lithuania, EastFruit reports. According to official statistics, from September 1 to 23, 2024, the country has already received three trucks of potatoes: 22 tons from Lithuania, worth $10.56 thousand, and 42 tons from Poland, worth $20.164 thousand.
According to the State Customs Service (SCS), Ukraine imported 15 thousand tons of potatoes between January and August 2024. During this period, potato exports amounted to only 760 tons worth $215 thousand, while imports amounted to 15.356 thousand tons worth $9.324 million.
Read also: Trends among the top 10 largest seed potato exporting countries in the world
According to the analysts of the EastFruit project, the import of potatoes started due to the increased demand for food potatoes among local wholesalers and retailers, as well as speculations about the potential shortage of quality potatoes in the current season. Potato prices have been rising strongly due to high demand for food potatoes, which is further fueled by rumors of a shortage of quality potatoes this season.
The poor harvest in 2024 also contributed to higher prices and increased demand for potato imports. EastFruit experts note that the main reasons for potato imports were the growth in demand due to the needs of the army, population migration, and the reduction of local production in Ukraine.
The deficit of domestic production and high demand for potatoes contributed to a significant increase in imports.
https://east-fruit.com/uk/novyny/ukrayina-pochala-import-kartopli-v-rozpal-zboru-vrozhayu/
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga held talks with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric in New York.
“I met with Marko Djuric. We highly appreciate Serbia’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and participation in the Peace Formula. I informed him about the Russian attacks on our energy system. I welcome Serbia’s decision to reopen its embassy in Kyiv this year,” Sibiga wrote on social media site X.
On May 13, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced after a meeting with the Serbian head of state that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had agreed to hold a Ukrainian-Serbian business forum in the near future, as well as to reopen the Serbian embassy in Ukraine for the first time since March 2022.
As of September 25, Ukraine exported 9.764 mln tonnes of grains and pulses since the beginning of 2024-2025 marketing year (MY, July-June), of which 2.297 mln tonnes were shipped this month, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported.
According to the report, as of the same date last year, the total shipments amounted to 6.152 million tons, including 1.565 million tons in September.
In terms of crops, since the beginning of the current season, Ukraine has exported 5.591 million tons of wheat, including 1.808 million tons in September, 1.245 million tons (132 thousand tons) of barley, 7.5 thousand tons (7.2 thousand tons) of rye, and 2.664 million tons (328 thousand tons) of corn.
The total exports of Ukrainian flour since the beginning of the season are estimated at 17.4 thsd tonnes (5.5 thsd tonnes in September), including 15.7 thsd tonnes of wheat (4.8 thsd tonnes).
The development company Creator-Bud has announced the construction of the WOL.100 apartment hotel in Katowice (Poland), with the international management company Ribas Hotels Group responsible for the integrated management of apartments and services, the hotel operator’s press service reports.
WOL.100 apartment hotel with 71 apartments will be located in the center of Katowice (100a Mykołowska Street), with completion of construction and renovation works scheduled for Q4 2025.
“WOL.100 is a modern apartment hotel that provides flexible and mobile living. It fits perfectly into the growing market of Katowice, meeting the needs of tourists, business travelers and those looking for quality mixed-use space. The growing tourist flow, business attraction, development of various industries and high demand for complexes of this format make the hotel an ideal solution for the city,” Dmytro Struk, Development Director of Creator-Bud, was quoted in the release.
As of 2023, about 4.8 thousand rooms in hotels of various categories were registered in Katowice. According to Statistic Poland, the city is visited by about 1.2 million tourists annually, and the average length of stay is two nights. The demand for rooms exceeds the current supply by 37%, indicating high demand and expansion of the room stock.
The WOL concept – home+hotel – provides comfortable conditions for living, working and relaxing in one place, regardless of the length of stay, whether it is 7 days or several months. The infrastructure of WOL.100 in Katowice includes a coffee shop, lobby and reception, gym, rooftop and coworking space on the top floor.
“The biggest competitive advantage of WOL.100 is that it is the first hotel in our chain, and the second in Ukraine, which guarantees investors a minimum yield of 17 euros per square meter in the first two years. Moreover, due to the capitalization of the project, the stable forecasted European market and the recognition of the object, this amount has the potential to grow,” says Artur Lupashko, CEO and founder of Ribas Hotels Group.
The following forms of investment are offered to investors: hotel purchase, investment in apartments, the cost starts from EUR3.8 thousand per square meter.
Founded in 2006, Creator-Bud is a vertically integrated full-cycle holding company with branches in Kyiv, Lviv and Ternopil. According to the LUN new buildings portal, the company has commissioned 36 buildings in 18 residential complexes, and 28 buildings in 14 residential complexes are under construction.
Ribas Hotels Group is an international management company established in 2014 in Odesa, whose flagship service is the operational management of hotel and restaurant complexes. The company also provides services in concept development, design, support of all stages of project implementation, consulting, and franchising for developers.
The company has 28 city, beach, and ski hotels under the Ribas, Ribas Hotels, Ribas Rooms, WOL home + hotel, and Mandra Glamping brands under integrated management and exclusive booking. The operator’s total room capacity is over 1000 rooms. In total, the portfolio includes 55 projects, including those under design and construction.
The company is currently developing facilities in Poland, Moldova, and Indonesia.
As of September 18, farmers in all regions of Ukraine sowed 1.8 million hectares of winter crops, compared to 1.0487 million hectares last week, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reports.
According to the report, winter wheat was sown on 878.8 thousand hectares (340.3 thousand hectares a week earlier), barley – on 45 thousand hectares (16.5 thousand hectares), rye – on 20.7 thousand hectares (3.4 thousand hectares), and rapeseed – on 862.2 thousand hectares (688.4 thousand hectares).
According to the Ministry, the leaders in sowing of winter grains are the farmers of Poltava, Kirovograd and Mykolaiv regions, who planted 944.5 thou hectares.
As of the same date a year earlier, Ukraine planted 2.179 mln ha of winter crops, including 1.038 mln ha of rapeseed, 1.024 mln ha of wheat, 74 thou ha of barley, and 42 thou ha of rye.
The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Protection (SSUFSCP) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have agreed with the Republic of Albania on two certificates for Ukrainian pet food producers, the agency’s press service reports.
According to the report, a health certificate for canned pet food and a health certificate for chewing items for pets intended for import or transit from Ukraine to Albania have been agreed.
“Opening new markets for Ukrainian exporters is one of the key priorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We are systematically working on this together with the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection. Each new market means new opportunities for domestic producers and strengthening of our economy. This is especially important in times of war,” said Andriy Sybiga, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
“Diversification of international sales markets is the focus of special attention of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection. The development of domestic business largely depends on expanding the geography of exports. That is why we continue to do everything possible to support Ukrainian producers, especially in these difficult times,” said the head of the agency, Serhiy Tkachuk.
The State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection pointed out that the agreed form of the veterinary certificate for these categories of products is published on the official website of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection in the section “International Cooperation” – “Veterinary and Safety” – “Certificates for Export from Ukraine”.
The first step for exporting Ukrainian products of animal origin is a request from the market operator to the territorial authority of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection at the place of location, the agency reminded.
