KYIV. June 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine since the beginning of the 2016/2017 marketing year (MY, July-June) and as of June 8, 2017 had exported 41.667 million tonnes of grain.
According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, the country exported about 16.98 million tonnes of wheat, 5.26 million tonnes of barley, and 19.17 million tonnes of corn.
In addition, 365,500 tonnes of flour had been as of the date.
As reported, with reference to the ministry, Ukraine in the 2015/2016 MY (July-June) exported 39.487 million tonnes of grain, which is 13.5% more than in the previous season.
KYIV. June 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Cooperation in energy saving, industry and investment are the themes for the 7th plenary session of the Ukraine-Czechia intergovernmental commission on economic, industrial and scientific cooperation on Thursday in Kyiv.
“Cooperation in the energy sphere is important for us, especially increasing the effective functioning of the gas transportation system (GTS), as well as cooperation in the energy saving sphere. Nuclear energy is also important, electricity and industry. It is also very important to cooperate in industrial development, because, as you know, this is one of the priorities of state policy for the upcoming years,” Vice Prime Minister on European Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.
The deputy PM said supplying spare parts for cars, repair work and helicopter maintenance were also discussed, as well as creating joint production ventures.
“We decided we’re ready to develop cooperation in developing the production of trolley bus cars,” she said.
Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Jiri Havlicek said a wide range of topics were discussed in the meeting.
“I am pleased that we talked about economic issues, industry, export development and investments. These are important issues for Ukraine and Czechia,” he said.
Havlicek invited Klympush-Tsintsadze to visit Prague next year.
KYIV. June 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine shipped 3,271 tonnes of cheese onto foreign markets in January-May, 2017, which was 22.7% higher than the same period of 2016.
The shipments increased by 48.5% in monetary terms, to $11.35 million, Ukraine’s State Fiscal Service said in its customs statistics reports.
Cheese imports in the period under review totaled 3,563 tonnes, an increase by 35.8% compared to the same period last year. The country imported products worth $15.7 million (imports in January-May 2016 were estimated at $10.7 million).
At the same time, exports of butter from Ukraine in January-May 2017 increased by 3.2 times, to 8,538 tonnes. Shipments in monetary terms amounted to almost $31.1 million against $7.4 million in January-May 2016. Butter imports in the five months fell almost 73.7%: from 658 tonnes ($ 2.13 million) to 174 tonnes ($891,000).
Exports of condensed milk and cream in January-May 2017 decreased by 5.8%, to 18,300 tonnes. Ukraine supplied condensed milk and cream to the tune of $31.8 million, which was 19.6% more than in January-May 2016 ($26.6 million).
As was reported, Ukraine in 2016 exported 8,050 tonnes of cheese, which was 25.6% less than in 2015. Imports of cheeses increased by 31.2%, to 7,060 tonnes.
TIU Canada Ltd. will break ground on a 10-megawatt solar energy plant in Nikopol on Friday, June 9 at 14:00 on the grounds of the Nikopol Ferroalloy plant. TIU is owned and operated by the family office of Refraction Asset Management (RAM), an investment manager based in Calgary, Alberta Canada. The Nikopol solar energy project is TIU Canada’s first investment in the Ukrainian market.
Media is invited. The event will feature the official groundbreaking ceremony, and the Q&A session with Michael Yurkovich, the President of RAM during the buffet reception. To register for the event, please contact Ivan Bachynsky +380-93-064-8292.
KYIV. June 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – It will only be possible to lease state-owned farming land at auction for up to seven years, and the starting auction price cannot be lower than 8% of the appraisal norm, according to a Cabinet of Ministers resolution adopted on Wednesday.
Ukraine’s State Service of Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre said it would also auction previously leased land plots, thereby liquidating the scheme under which they were divvied up into two-hectare plots and doled out freely as so-called personal farming plots, First Deputy Agricultural Policy and Food Minister Maksym Martyniuk has said.
Martyniuk said today’s auction rates for state-owned land ranges between 13-15%, and the average rate for renting state-owned and privately-owned land is from 5-8%.
Martyniuk said the resolution would introduce one more condition – the area of land given freely will be limited to 25% of the land plots leased at auction, and priority will be given to participants in the Anti-Terrorism Operation by rural local councils’ consent.
According to Martyniuk, the State Service of Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre will bring previously signed agreements into compliance with the new rules.
He said the measures should increase income for local budgets by UAH 1 billion by the end of 2018.
Martyniuk said before adoption of the resolution there did not exist any coherent procedure, noting that this led to unlawful activities. He said 62 heads of regional and district administrations were sacked in 2015-2016, while 53 officials were arrested, including 21 for bribery.
According to the first deputy minister, the majority of agreements were concluded for a maximum 49-year term with minimal 3% rates, and in 2016 the number of free two-hectare land plot transfers for personal farmer use increased.
Martyniuk said prior to 2013 regional district offices concluded 40,000 rental agreements with rates less than 3% for a total of 300,000 hectares.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman emphasized that renting land for agricultural purposes must take place on a competitive basis.
KYIV. June 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, is to invest up to $20 million in a direct investment fund, Emerging Europe Growth Fund III, L.P. (EEGF III), registered in Delaware in the United States and launched by Horizon Capital Advisors, LLC for investment mostly in Ukraine.
The IFC board approved the project at a meeting on June 5, IFC said in a statement.
IFC’s investment will not exceed 20% of the total fund size. Small- and medium-sized growing enterprises are expected to be main recipients of EEGF III investment.
IFC recalls it is an investor of EEGF II fund, and participation in the new fund will help Horizon complete individually launched investment projects.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) can be engaged as a co-investor of the fund, the statement said.
As reported, U.S.-based Overseas Private Investment Corporation in June 2016 reported the disbursement of up to $37.5 million to EEGF III fund, launched by Horizon Capital, for up to 10 years.
The fund with a declared volume of $150 million will focus on medium-sized fast-growing, export-oriented companies in Ukraine and Moldova with the potential to become local or regional market leaders. It is assumed that the fund will make investment by buying a minority stake in such companies. At the same time, if necessary, it is also possible to provide seed capital for start-ups, acquire businesses or participate in privatization.
