The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in November improved the forecast for soybean exports from Ukraine for the 2018/2019 marketing year (MY, September-August) by 5%, or 150,000 tonnes compared to the September forecast, to 3.1 million tonnes. According to a report on the website of the American department, the USDA increased the forecast for oilseed exports from Ukraine by 100,000 tonnes, to 5.7 million tonnes, processing by 50,000 tonnes, to 15.55 million tonnes. The USDA forecast for meal exports was adjusted upward by 80,000 tonnes, to 5.15 million tonnes, oil by 20,000 tonnes, to 5.85 million tonnes.
According to the USDA forecasts, in the 2018/19 MY sunflower seed production in Ukraine will increase by 9.5% compared to the previous marketing year, to 15 million tonnes, meal by 6%, to 5.98 million tonnes, and oil also by 6%, to 6.2 million tonnes.
The export of sunflower seeds in the 2018/2019 MY could increase by 2.6 times, to 100,000 tonnes, meal by 8.5%, to 4.6 million tonnes, oil by 5%, to 5.6 million tonnes.
The USDA lowered the forecast for global production of oilseeds this month to 599.6 million tonnes (604 million tonnes in the September forecast).
Industrial prices in Ukraine in October 2018 increased by 0.3% after rising by 1.2% in September, 1.3% in August and 1.6% in July, the State Statistics Service has reported. In annual terms (as compared to the same month last year), in October the rise in prices also slowed down to 16.6% from 18.9% in September and 19.3% in August.
The State Statistics Service said that industrial prices in Ukraine in October remained unchanged, while for shipments outside the country increased by 1.5%. In annual terms, the growth was 18.6% and 9.1% respectively.
Since the beginning of this year, producers’ prices in Ukraine have increased by 12.7%, in particular within the country by 14.3%, and beyond its borders by 6.6%.
As reported, the growth of industrial prices in 2017 slowed down to 16.5% from 35.7% at the end of 2016 and 25.4% at the end of 2015.
Primary registrations of electric cars (new and used) in Ukraine in January-October 2018 grew by 89% year-over-year, to 4,214 cars, the Ukrautoprom association has reported.
The share of used cars was 85% – the same as last year.
The Nissan Leaf remained the most popular make in Ukraine: 403 cars of this model were registered in Ukraine in October 2018. The BMW i3 with 38 cars ranked second in terms of the number of registrations and Tesla Model S was third with 27 cars. Renault Zoe (24 cars) was fourth, and FIAT 500е with 23 cars was fifth.
The top ten on the primary market of electric cars in October 2018 also included: Volkswagen e-Golf (19 cars), KIA Soul EV (18 cars), Hyundai Ioniq Electric (15 cars), Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive (14 cars), and SMART Fortwo ED (13 cars).
In 2017, the primary market of electric passenger cars in Ukraine grew 2.3-fold, to 2,697 units, and the share of used cars was 85%, while in 2016 – 51%.
Kharkiv-based JSC Turboatom and Westinghouse have extended a memorandum of understanding in the nuclear energy sphere for one year.
The press service of National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom reported that the document was signed on November 7, 2018 by Turboatom Director General Viktor Subotin, Westinghouse Vice President and Managing Director Aziz Dag and Energoatom President Yuriy Nedashkovsky during the international fuel and energy forum held in Kyiv.
“The memorandum of understanding with Turboatom includes cooperation under the Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge Project. According to the memorandum, Turboatom will provide products and services for the turbine part of the project. Yesterday, the expansion of the current memorandum for another year was signed,” Dag told Interfax-Ukraine.
As reported, Westinghouse within cooperation with Turboatom continues to discuss preparations for the implementation of programs to increase the installed capacity of VVER power units and the capability utilization index, while activation of cooperation is possible when launching the Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge Project.
The government decided to implement the Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge pilot project in June 2015. The project envisages organizing the transmission of power from reactor two of the Khmelnytsky NPP to the EU power grid. The funds received from electricity exports from this reactor are planned to be used to finance the construction of reactors three and four of the Khmelnytsky NPP.
A consortium of companies, consisting of Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB, Polenergia International S.àr.l. and EDF Trading Limited, announced their intention to participate in the project of arranging the Ukraine-EU energy bridge.
PJSC Multiplex-Holding, developing the Multiplex cinema chain in Ukraine, is holding negotiations with managers of Kyiv’s TsUM shopping center, seeking to open a cinema in the new premium format in it.
“We are at the final stage of negotiations. It remains to agree on some details… In the next few weeks we will sign it [the lease agreement],” Commercial Director of Multiplex Holding Vitaliy Pysarenko told Interfax-Ukraine, confirming the company’s intentions.
According to him, after signing the contract, it will take up to six months to open the cinema.
“This will be a format that corresponds to the audience of the department store itself — premium. I think it will be very popular in the center of Kyiv,” Pysarenko said.
He added that the nearest cinema to the TsUM (the Oscar cinema network) operates in the Gulliver shopping center, but Multiplex intends to offer a unique format. Pysarenko did not provide more details, but added that in connection with the change of management at TsUM, the cinema operator “has high expectations regarding the new team.”
In general, according to him, by the end of 2019, Multiplex plans to open about 40 more cinema halls (about five facilities).
“We have big plans for the next year. What I can say specifically – we will open [cinema halls] in the Spartak shopping mall (Lviv), as well as at the end of the (current) year in the Gagarin Plaza shopping mall in Odesa, which will be our first cinema in this city,” Pysarenko said.
Danone in Ukraine has begun exporting yoghurt to Poland with the weekly deliveries of 20 tonnes, the company’s press service has reported. According to the report, Danone exports products for children under the Danonki brand (in Ukraine the Rastishka brand), as well as Activia bifidus yoghurt. The export volume of each product category is 10 tonnes per week.
“In 2018, the company received a request from partners from Poland for the supply of products for children under the Danonki brand. The request has been successfully implemented, therefore Poland became the first country in the European Union to which Ukrainian yoghurt was delivered,” the manufacturer said.
The company also reported on the request for an increase in export volumes. In addition, Danone intends to organize the supply of dairy products to other EU countries.
According to the company, Danone is now also exporting Prostokvashino sour cream and Activia drinking bifidus yoghurt to the United Arab Emirates. According to Danone, the exported products are manufactured at Danone Dnipro plant (Kherson). Danone Group is represented in 120 countries. It owns more than 190 factories, which employ about 102,000 people.
