Oilseed production in Ukraine in the 2026-2027 season will show growth due to high margins and the development of domestic processing, according to the information and analytical agency UkrAgroConsult.
Analysts noted that sunflower will remain a priority crop for farmers. At the beginning of 2026, sunflower seed prices approached UAH 30,000/t, which encourages farms to expand their crops. The area under this crop in the new season may increase to 6.1 million hectares.
The soybean and rapeseed markets remain stable. At the same time, domestic processing of these crops is growing in Ukraine, which strengthens the country’s role in the Black Sea region. An increase in gross seed harvest will stimulate plant utilization and further growth in oil and meal exports.
Among the key trends for the 2026/27 season, UkrAgroConsult named the preservation of oilseeds as one of the most profitable segments of agricultural production, with sunflower maintaining its leading position. Analysts also predict an increase in processing capacity utilization and a further increase in exports of processed products amid relative stability in the soybean and rapeseed markets.
In January-February 2026, Ukraine increased imports of nickel and nickel products 2.3 times compared to the same period last year, to $4.518 million (in February – $2.052 million).
Exports of nickel and nickel products amounted to $51,000 (in February – $47,000), while in January-February 2025 they amounted to $33,000.
In addition, in 2025 Ukraine reduced imports of nickel and nickel products by 2.7% compared to 2024 – to $26.011 million.
Exports of nickel and nickel products amounted to $1.420 million, compared to $602 thousand in 2024.
Nickel is used in the production of stainless steel and for nickel plating. Nickel is also used in the production of batteries, in powder metallurgy, and in chemical reagents.
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has proposed banning citizens of countries outside the European Union from buying second homes in the city, explaining that this is to combat speculative demand amid a protracted housing crisis. This primarily concerns buyers who purchase real estate not for permanent residence but as an investment asset. In February, Collboni himself said that if it were within his power, he would ban British, American, and other non-EU citizens from buying second homes in the Catalan capital.
At the moment, this is only a political initiative and not an adopted norm. At the same time, at the national level, the Spanish government announced in January 2025 its intention to significantly tighten the conditions for purchasing housing for non-residents from countries outside the EU, increasing the tax burden for them to 100% of the property value. This measure also remains a proposal and requires further legislative formalization.
Barcelona’s initiative is part of a broader policy by city authorities to cool the overheated housing market. Earlier, the city had already decided not to renew licenses for short-term tourist rentals, of which there are about 10,101 in Barcelona, after 2028. The authorities explain the tough stance by the fact that over the past ten years, the average rent in the city has increased by 68%, and the cost of purchasing housing by 38%.
According to official data from Idescat, at the beginning of 2025, 1,713,247 people lived in Barcelona, of whom 437,663 were foreigners, or 25.55% of the population. Accordingly, there were about 1.276 million Spanish citizens in the city. At the same time, if we look not at citizenship but at place of birth, according to the city report for 2024, 33.6% of Barcelona’s residents were born outside Spain, and those born directly in Barcelona accounted for only 46.1% of the population.
The largest diasporas in Barcelona by citizenship at the beginning of 2025 were Italian (50,754 people), Colombian (29,574), Pakistani (24,857), Chinese (22,333), Peruvian (22,105), Moroccan (19,300), and French (18,437). The city authorities separately noted that the statistics for Italian citizens also include many people born in Argentina with Italian passports.
According to Serbian Economist, MK Group plans a new investment cycle worth between EUR1 billion and EUR2 billion in 2026-2030, said the group’s CEO Mihailo Jankovic, speaking at the Kopaonik Business Forum. According to him, about EUR 1 billion is expected to be allocated to renewable energy projects, more than EUR 200 million to agriculture, and the rest to the development of the hotel portfolio and premium tourism in the region.
Thus, the publication of the program for approximately EUR 1.6 billion in energy, agriculture, and tourism is generally in line with the group’s previously announced targets. The MK Group’s official website still states that the total volume of the previously announced investment cycle is EUR 1.6 billion, including EUR 900 million for green energy, EUR 350 million for agriculture, and EUR 380 million for tourism, while the latest March announcement extends the program’s horizon to 2030 and sets the range at EUR 1-2 billion.
Jankovic linked the new round of investments to the need to strengthen domestic investment amid a weakening of external capital. He noted that in 2022-2024, the average net inflow of foreign direct investment into Serbia was around EUR 4.5 billion per year, while in the first 11 months of 2025, it fell to EUR 1.94 billion. In his opinion, in such conditions, it is large national companies that should become one of the drivers of further growth.
MK Group also emphasizes that it already has a strong position in the energy segment. The company calls itself the largest independent electricity producer in Serbia: its portfolio includes four operating wind farms with a total capacity of 200 MW, which generate about 500 GWh of electricity annually, and in the next stage, the group intends to continue investing in wind, solar, and biomass projects.
MK Group was founded in 1983 by Miodrag Kostic. After he stepped down from active management, strategic leadership was transferred to his son, Aleksandar Kostic, who is now the group’s president. The business focuses on the agri-food sector, green energy, tourism, and real estate. The group’s structure includes, in particular, the agricultural companies PIK Bečej, Flora, Agrounija, and Erdevik, the sugar division Sunoko, and the meat division Carnex.
After purchasing sugar factories in 2002, Sunoko became the largest sugar producer in the wider region, while Carnex, acquired by the group in 2011, exports meat products to 15 countries. Sunoko, in turn, has announced plans to increase sugar exports to the EU and regional markets.
https://t.me/relocationrs/2416
The House of Europe program has announced an open grant competition, Culture Helps Solidarity, for cultural initiatives that help Ukrainians integrate into European communities and support the reintegration of veterans through culture.
The amount of support is up to €20,000 for a project with one partner and up to €30,000 for a project with two or more partners. Grant funds can cover fees, travel, production, marketing, rent, and operational activities.
Non-profit cultural organizations officially registered in Ukraine and participating countries with experience working with displaced persons or veterans are eligible to participate. In addition to the EU, the list of eligible jurisdictions for partners includes Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and a number of countries in the region, including Serbia, which expands opportunities for Ukrainian organizations to cooperate with partners outside the EU.
Applications will be accepted until March 31, 2026 (2:00 p.m. Kyiv time), and the results of the competition are expected to be announced by the end of May. A total of 15 projects are expected to receive funding, with a deadline for implementation of May 31, 2027. Applications must be submitted online in English. There is no application fee for the competition.
On March 10, Ukrtransnafta JSC announced its intention to conclude a contract with VUSO Insurance Company for compulsory civil liability insurance for owners of land vehicles (CMTPL).
According to the Prozorro electronic public procurement system, the company’s price offer was UAH 1.106 million against the expected cost of UAH 1.255 million.
The tender was also attended by insurance companies Kraina with an offer of UAH 1 more, Arsenal Insurance – UAH 1.191 million.
