Since the beginning of Russia’s armed invasion of Ukraine, 93 enterprises have moved to Lviv region, the press service of the Lviv regional military administration reports.
“In general, we have processed more than 400 applications for relocation. Of the 93 enterprises that have already moved, 38 have started work,” Orest Filts, the head of the investment policy department at the administration, said.
According to him, representatives of food, chemical, furniture, light industry and woodworking moved to Lviv region. As Filts noted, among them is Gemini Espresso, a natural coffee company, and MatrolLux, a manufacturer of mattresses, upholstered and cabinet furniture.
According to him, two more machine-building enterprises are planning to start work soon – Wind Farms of Ukraine LLC, which is part of Kramatorsk Heavy Machine Tool Plant, and Pozhmashina, the only manufacturer of specialized firefighting equipment in Ukraine.
According to the estimates of the Lviv regional administration, more than 2,500 jobs will be created at the displaced enterprises.
The Trust Fund for Solidarity with Ukraine will start operating on May 5, President of the European Council Charles Michel has said.
“We are determined to do everything we can in order to support Ukraine, because we want the victory of Ukraine, and that’s why we use all the possible tools in our hands. Of course, the financial support is very important. We have the occasion with the president to do more in details. That is why, we have decided it a few weeks ago, after talk held by phone with the president, to launch this Trust Fund for Solidarity with Ukraine. In the following days, it will be May 5, it will be the starting point, with an international donor conference. It will be organized together with Poland, Sweden and with the support of the European Commission, all member countries, and also with the support of many international actors,” Michel said at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Wednesday.
He said the EU is also working closely with international organizations such as the IMF, the World Bank and others to ensure that the EU can mobilize funds in support so that Ukraine can pay social allocations.
The European Commission will provide an opinion on Ukraine’s possibility of obtaining the status of a candidate member of the EU by the end of June, after which the European Council will be able to start a discussion on this issue, President of the European Council Charles Michel said.
“We will have the opinion of the Commission by the end of June. And it will be my responsibility to assess when I can put this issue on the agenda of the European Council, to make sure that we have a political discussion, a dialogue, to make progress on this path. But I I want to say that I feel very strong support to make sure that we can provide concrete support to Ukraine in your choice to follow the path to the EU in your future,” Michel said at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Wednesday.
He stressed that Ukraine demonstrates adherence to democratic principles and freedoms every day.
“You are fighting not only for the future of the children of Ukraine. We know that you are fighting for European fundamental principles and values,” Michel stressed.
The number of pigs of the agricultural holding KSG Agro as of April 1 of this year increased by 1% (0.51 thousand heads) compared to a month earlier, from 54.02 thousand heads to 54.53 thousand heads, then as the sale of live pigs by him increased by 3%, from 6.08 thousand to 6.25 thousand heads, according to a press release from the group on Wednesday.
“Despite the extremely difficult situation in the country as a result of martial law, characterized by a break in supply chains, we, by creating a stock of feed and updating the number of sows last year, managed to increase the number of pigs and the volume of their sale,” the head of the board of directors said in a statement. KSG Agro Sergey Kasyanov.
According to him, the agricultural holding intends to continue stable work and will gradually increase production indicators, thereby ensuring the food security of Ukraine and helping the Ukrainian armed forces with its products.
As reported, KSG Agro in April began to form a three-month strategic stock of raw materials for fattening pigs at its own feed mill to ensure the uninterrupted operation of its pig farm in the context of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine.
The vertically integrated holding KSG Agro is engaged in pig breeding, as well as the production, storage, processing and sale of grains and oilseeds. Its land bank is about 21 thousand hectares in the Dnepropetrovsk and Kherson regions.
According to the agricultural holding itself, it is among the top 5 pork producers in Ukraine.
KSG Agro in 2020 reduced net profit by 3.2 times compared to 2019 – to $1.27 million, revenue – by 11%, to $21.34 million, while increasing EBITDA by 2.9 times – to $6, 02 million
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner advised German gas companies not to switch to paying for fuel supplies in rubles, which Moscow insists on.
“Contracts are contracts,” Lindner told Bloomberg Television on Wednesday. “Contracts are based on dollars and euros, and companies in the private sector have to pay in dollars or euros.”
He also said that Germany is ready for further sanctions against Russia. “We actively support all sanctions that serve to isolate Moscow politically and economically,” Lindner said.
An agricultural enterprise from the Kiev region has carried out the application of plant protection products (PPP) on 130 hectares of berry plantations using agricultural drones – unmanned aerial vehicles, this innovative technique has been used for the introduction of PPP in Ukraine for the first time, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine reported on Facebook on Wednesday.
According to him, land cultivation by drones is more efficient than traditional wheeled vehicles due to the fuel efficiency of drones and their ability to apply fertilizers more efficiently and precisely. This is especially important given the disruption of supply chains due to Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.
At the same time, the agency in the message did not name the company that applied the application of plant protection products using drones.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy emphasized that for the duration of martial law, drone owners must obtain permission to fly and coordinate the use of airspace for agricultural needs with military units located in the region. Otherwise, any uncoordinated actions will be instantly regarded as hostile, and the unmanned vehicles will be neutralized by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“We are convinced that in the future the process of applying PPPs by drones will be easier and more accessible. Now there is already an algorithm for cooperation with military administrations, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and documentary support,” First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotsky quotes the ministry.
