Two Ukrainian producers of chicken and eggs, MHP and Avangard, topped the list of European producers of chicken and eggs and took 15th place in the global ranking, according to the WattPoultry magazine, which researches the global market for the production, processing and sale of poultry products.
According to the ranking, MHP agricultural holding topped the list of broiler producers in the European Union and took 15th place in the world ranking with a production of 704 thousand tons of chicken meat per year.
Ukrainian agricultural holding Avangard was ranked first among egg producers in the European Union and 15th among world leaders with a production of 13.3 million eggs.
“Demand for chicken meat continues to grow and consumption is expected to increase by 16% between 2024 and 2033, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization, which is obviously good news for global poultry producers. Nothing is guaranteed, but as demand remains high, companies in our industry at least have plenty of opportunities to capitalize on them,” the publication emphasized.
The compilers of the rating reminded that broiler and egg producers, wherever they are in the world, are forced to deal with disease outbreaks and increasingly stringent regulations. However, they can at least be sure that demand for their products will continue.
MHP is the largest chicken producer in Ukraine. It produces grain, sunflower oil, and processed meat products.
In 2023, the company earned $142 million in net profit compared to a net loss of $231 million a year earlier. Last year, the group’s revenue increased by 14% to $3.021 billion.
As reported, in March 2022, Avangard announced losses of UAH 1.5 billion since the beginning of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. Russian aggression has led to the shutdown of a number of the group’s key poultry farms, and chickens at the Chornobaivska poultry farm (Bilozerka, Kherson region) were left without food and died.
“Ukrlandfarming is one of the largest agricultural holdings in Eurasia. It is engaged in growing grain, raising cattle, and distributing machinery, fertilizers, and seeds. “Avangard, a part of it, is Ukraine’s largest producer of eggs and egg products.
European paint manufacturers are pushing for a review of the European Union’s anti-dumping measures against Chinese exports of titanium dioxide, a key raw material for the industry, saying that they will lead to the closure of plants and further destruction of the region’s industrial base, the Financial Times reports.
Following an anti-dumping investigation launched last year, the European Union imposed temporary duties that could be adjusted or confirmed in January 2025. Paint companies fear that duties of up to 39.7% on titanium dioxide from China will bankrupt small producers and force large ones to move plants outside the EU.
“It’s a question of the survival of the industry,” believes Nicolas Dujardin, chief operating officer of family-owned French paint manufacturer Oceinde. – “If all these anti-dumping investigations lead to such high taxes in Europe, there will be a number of bankruptcies.
The paint and coatings sector will face a prolonged downturn if consumers are hit by higher prices, says Paula Salastie, owner of Finnish company Teknos. If Chinese supplies are diverted elsewhere, a shortage of raw materials will lead to disruptions in production, she says.
“If we can’t sell as much as we planned, we will need to cut jobs,” she said, adding that if duties are imposed, the company will probably look at options for investments outside the EU.
Paint makers believe the duties would be acceptable if introduced gradually along with increased subsidies for local titanium dioxide production.
China’s titanium dioxide capacity has grown from 1.4 million tons in 2008 to a projected 6.1 million tons this year. As a result, China’s share of the global market has risen to 83% from 29%, according to industry information provider TZMI.
Meanwhile, outside China, about 1.1 million tons of capacity was closed during the period, including five plants in the EU, according to estimates by the European TiO2 Coalition, which filed a complaint that led to the launch of an anti-dumping investigation. Paint producers expect the duties imposed in the EU to benefit the UK and also strengthen Turkish competitors, as both countries will still be able to access cheap Chinese raw materials.
Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) has updated information on the temporary cancellation and rerouting of a number of flights due to the massive flooding in Eastern Europe, including the cancellation of the Vienna-Budapest-Kyiv flight, the rerouting of the Chop-Vienna-Chop flight, and the introduction of shuttle service on the Prague-Premyshl-Prague flight.
“The Vienna – Budapest – Kyiv flight has been canceled today. Passengers with tickets in Vienna are asked to come to the information and service center and receive vouchers for free accommodation,” the company said on its Telegram channel.
For its part, Ukrzaliznytsia clarified that the Kyiv-Budapest-Vienna flight will be heading to Budapest. The company also announced a change in the route of Chop-Vienna-Chop flights, which will be detoured to the final station of the route.
The company also informs about the cancellation of train traffic on the route Prague – Przemysl – Prague and the organization of alternative routes.
“Prague-Premysl-Prague trains are not yet able to pass the flooded area on the Czech-Polish border. Tomorrow, shuttle traffic is expected from Prague to the border and from Przemyśl to the border with a bus shuttle around the flooded area,” the carrier said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan discussed the security situation in Europe and the South Caucasus on the margins of the Dubrovnik Forum in Croatia.
“I thanked Armenia for participating in the first Peace Summit in Switzerland and informed my counterpart about further work on the implementation of the Peace Formula on the way to a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine,” Kuleba wrote on social network X.
The ministers also focused on ways to deepen bilateral ties and international cooperation, especially in light of Ukraine’s future membership in the EU.
Railcar-building company Dneprovagonmash JSC (DVM) plans to sell up to 100 railcars for export to Europe, businessman Sergiy Tigipko has said.
“Today we produce 80 railcars a month for the domestic market, but we have already started to produce for export… The European market is 8-9 thousand railcars a year, and we have set a goal of selling 100 railcars a month there. In terms of money, the average car is about EUR 100 thousand,” he said during the “Money for Victory” forum organized by Forbes Ukraine.
According to him, the Austrian steelmaker Voestalpine provides lighter and stronger metal for railcar construction, which is a competitive advantage in the European market.
For its part, the group is investing in the modernization of the enterprise (metal work, welding, painting) and staff training.
As reported, at the beginning of 2023, TAS Group became a strategic investor in the TransAnt GmbH railcar building joint venture of Austrian Voestalpine and ÖBB Rail Cargo with a 40% stake, and in the spring of 2024 it became the majority owner of TransAnt, increasing its stake to 61%.
In October 2023, as part of an innovative project with Austrian partners, Dniprovagonmash, a member of the TAS group, shipped the first lightweight modular freight cars (MultiBOX) for operation on the EU railways, and by the end of the year it had a full line of platform freight cars for the EU market.
According to TAS Dneprovagonmash’s financial report for 2023, this year it plans to invest UAH 100.2 million in the development of the European direction, including the purchase of equipment.
In 2023, the company produced 378 freight cars (including for the EU market), which is 34.8% less than in 2022, while sales decreased by 40.6% to 370 units.
Net income from sales of railcars and other products decreased by 2.8% to UAH 1 billion 77 million, while net profit increased slightly to UAH 49.2 million.
TAS Group was founded in 1998 by businessman Tigipko. Its business interests include the financial sector (banking and insurance) and the pharmacy sector, as well as industry, real estate, and venture capital projects.
Since the beginning of the Russian aggression, Ukraine has been forced to change the geography of agricultural exports, as a result of which the share of Europe reached 59% in January-October 2023 compared to 32% in 2021, the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) reported on Facebook.
According to the report, such an increase in exports of agricultural products to Europe is forced and is explained by a decrease in supplies to other regions: the share of Africa decreased to 7% from 14%, Asia – to 12% from 19%, and Southeast Asia – to 4% from 13%.
“The main reason for these changes is the blockade of Ukrainian seaports by Russian troops. The development of alternative routes, which were possible only through the territory of the EU countries, led to changes. Ukrainian farmers were forced to look for buyers of their products in Europe,” the analysts explained.
The UCAB reminded that deliveries to Africa and Asia during the war became possible only thanks to the work of the grain corridor in cooperation with the UN and Turkey, as well as the temporary grain corridor, which is currently shipping.
In 2023, the structure of exports of Ukrainian agricultural products in terms of the main export items is similar to last year’s figures: 39% were grains, 26% were vegetable oils, 4% were meat, and 2% were dairy products, eggs, and honey. At the same time, exports of oilseeds decreased to 12% compared to 16% in 2022, while exports of oilcake increased to 6% from 5% during the year. The permission to supply sugar to foreign markets allowed producers to increase its share in agricultural exports to 3% over the year.
In pre-war 2021, the structure of Ukraine’s agricultural exports was as follows: cereals – 45%, vegetable oils – 26%, oilseeds – 9%, meals – 6%, meat – 3%, and tobacco products – 2%.
“The only way to resume exports to Ukraine’s traditional markets is to ensure the safety of sea export routes and increase the volume of shipments through this channel,” the UCAB summarized.
