Investment company EFI Group, founded by Igor Lisky, together with its partners, has announced the start of construction of the Feednova Center (Feednova TM) plant for the production of high-protein feed additives and animal fats in the Cherkasy region.
“Despite the war, Ukrainian businesses are investing EUR 14.4 million in the first phase of the project. Total investments are planned to exceed EUR 20 million,” according to a press release on Tuesday.
According to the release, the majority investor is EFI Group, together with its strategic partner, leading Dutch and Danish manufacturers of technology and equipment in the processing industry.
The enterprise will include four production lines that will allow processing more than 150 tons of raw materials per day and producing more than 50 tons of finished products: meat and bone meal, feather meal, blood meal, and animal fats. The plant is scheduled to launch in the third quarter of 2026.
According to Samvel Ramazyan, director of Fidnova Center LLC, the design of the plant has already been completed and a general contractor has been selected, whose name is not disclosed in the release.
The Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture said in a press release on Tuesday that Fidnova Center will be the first project in Ukraine to receive compensation for the cost of constructed engineering and transport infrastructure facilities as early as 2025, with the total amount of state support estimated at UAH 172.1 million.
To date, the Ministry of Economy has provided the investor with a conclusion on the feasibility of the project, and the order to sign an agreement between the state and the investor is currently being approved by the central executive authorities. An agreement between the investor and the state will be signed in the near future, the ministry said.
The new facility will be the second plant under the Feednova brand after the successful launch of the first plant in the Lviv region in 2021, according to the release. The company exports more than 80% of its products to EU countries and continues its own development through the introduction of new production lines and the implementation of energy efficiency projects.
“The second plant for the production of high-protein additives is critically important for the modern meat processing industry. We are creating an infrastructure for efficient processing that simultaneously reduces environmental risks, creates jobs, and generates added value within the country. The Cherkasy region is the ideal location for this plant: it has strong agricultural enterprises, logistics, and, most importantly, the support of the local community,” Liska said in the release.
It is noted that the enterprise will create more than 80 jobs in the community and should influence the development of agro-industrial complexes in the region, as it will be the first in the central part of the country to process raw materials from external suppliers.
Agricultural production in Ukraine in January-September 2025 decreased by 14% compared to January-September 2024, while in January-August the decline was 8.4%, according to the State Statistics Service (SSS).
According to its data, during the reporting period, livestock production decreased by 4.4%, and crop production by 16.4% compared to the same period in 2024.
At the same time, in crop production, the main decline was in enterprises – 20.9%, while in private households, the decline was 6.1%.
At the same time, the situation in livestock production was the opposite: enterprises reduced production by only 1.4%, while private households reduced it by 8.9%.
A significant decline in production was recorded in the Donetsk, Kherson, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, where production fell by 43.9%, 33.1%, and 24.4%, respectively. In the case of the Donetsk region, there was an 18.5-fold drop in livestock production by enterprises.
A reduction of more than 20% in agricultural production also occurred in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions, which suffer from constant shelling, but the Khmelnytsky region is also on this list.
As for growth, according to the results of nine months, it was recorded in only one region, where there was the least shelling during the war – Zakarpattia, and amounted to 2.7%, including a threefold increase in livestock production by enterprises.
As reported, according to the results of eight months of this year, crop production decreased by 9.7%, and livestock production by 4.9%. In particular, in January-August of this year, the decline in crop production amounted to 12.2%, and livestock production – 2.4%, while in households – 5.3% and 8.6%, respectively.
Global lead and zinc production will exceed demand in 2025 and 2026, according to forecasts by the International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG).
Refined lead output is expected to increase by 2% this year to 13.34 million tons. This will mainly be driven by increased production in Canada, Germany, India, Mexico, Sweden, and Brazil, while Kazakhstan, the UK, and the US are expected to see a decline in output.
In 2026, global production will grow by 1% to 13.47 million tons due to increased output in Brazil and India, as well as a recovery in Kazakhstan. At the same time, experts predict a decline in China and the UK.
Global lead consumption this year may increase by 1.8% to 13.25 million tons, including 1.8% in Europe, 6.6% in the US, and 0.9% in China. Next year, global demand for the metal is expected to increase by 0.9% to 13.37 million tons, with China seeing a 1.7% decline.
Thus, in 2025, the global market will see a lead surplus of about 91,000 tons, and next year the surplus will increase to 102,000 tons, according to the group’s report.
Global refined zinc production is expected to increase by 2.7% to 13.8 million tons this year.
In particular, production in China will grow by 6.2%. Output is also expected to grow in Norway, where Boliden completed the expansion of the Odda plant’s production capacity by 150,000 tons per year in March. Meanwhile, zinc output is forecast to decline in Italy and Japan due to the closure of Glencore and Toho Zinc plants in these countries, as well as in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and South Korea.
In 2026, global zinc production will rise by 2.4% to 14.13 million tons. An increase is expected in Brazil, Canada, Norway, and China.
Metal consumption this year may grow by 1.1% to 13.71 million tons. In particular, an increase of 1.3% is expected in China and 0.7% in Europe. Experts also suggest the possibility of an increase in demand in India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as a decline in Brazil and South Korea.
In 2026, global demand for zinc will increase by 1% to 13.86 million tons. In particular, it will rise by 0.1% in China, with increases also forecast in Europe, Brazil, India, and the US.
The global zinc surplus in 2025 is expected to be 85,000 tons, and next year – 271,000 tons.
ILZSG, established by the UN in 1959, provides information on the supply and demand for zinc and lead and conducts research on the situation in the global markets for these metals. The group’s members include Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Sweden, Turkey, and the United States, as well as the European Union. These countries account for more than 85% of global lead and zinc production and consumption.
DEMAND, LEAD, PRODUCTION, zinc
October 29, 2025, Kyiv, International Exhibition Center (IEC)
Where is the profit during a crisis? How to scale up agricultural processing, attract investment, implement AI, and overcome the shortage of personnel in the food industry?
Experts, entrepreneurs, and leaders of the Ukrainian food sector will provide answers to these questions during the Agro2Food Profit Forum 2025 — the main event of the year for food producers and processors.
The forum will take place on October 29, 2025, in Kyiv, at the International Exhibition Center, as part of the Agro2Food exhibition of technologies, equipment, and solutions for agro-processing and the food industry.
5 panels. 1 day. Maximum practical benefit.
Panel #1. THE ECONOMICS OF ADDED VALUE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY. Where is the profit in a crisis?
In partnership with the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
With the participation of representatives of industry associations, clusters, distributors, and owners of processing businesses, who will share real-life cases of development, scaling, and optimization of production.
Key message: To show how Ukrainian producers are finding new sources of profit even in times of turbulence.
Panel No. 2. THE ECONOMICS OF INVESTMENT AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
In partnership with the Reform Support Team (RST) of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and ProConsalting. With the participation of a representative of Oschadbank (on agribusiness support programs), the owner of an agricultural processing company (with a scaling case study), and a supplier of processing equipment (on technological innovations).
Key message: How to attract investment during wartime, develop exports, and implement sustainability strategies?
Key topics:
Panel No. 3. ECONOMY OF INNOVATION. “Digitalization. AI. Food processing”
In partnership with the Ukrainian Food Manufacturers Association U-Food and the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance.
Key message: Artificial intelligence is already changing the Ukrainian food industry.
Key topics:
Panel No. 4. HUMAN RESOURCE ECONOMICS. Labor shortage in the food industry: challenges and solutions.
In partnership with the Job Platform for Food Technologists and Manufacturers and Odessa National Technological University.
With the participation of American University Kyiv.
Key topics:
Panel No. 5. THE ECONOMICS OF UNIQUENESS
Main message: Innovative products, intellectual property, and craftsmanship as a profit strategy.
Key topics:
Agro2Food Profit Forum 2025 is:
Agro2Food statistics.
At the exhibition venue, which will reach 4,000 m2, over 120 exhibitors will present all the key achievements in agricultural processing and the food industry.
Organizer:
Premier Expo:
Where and when:
October 29, 2025
International Exhibition Center (IEC), Kyiv
More about the program: https://agro2food.com.ua/program/profit-forum
Media contact:
Olena Zhoga, Conference Manager, Premier Expo
+380 (67) 789 27 09
Agro2Food — Building an economy of added value together.
See you at the main event of the sincere Ukrainian autumn!
Tickets for the exhibition: https://agro2food.com.ua/visitors/registration
Interfax-Ukraine — information partner
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/news/press-release/1112280.html
Since the start of the full-scale war, the Kryvyi Rih Mining and Metallurgical Plant PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (AMKR, Dnipropetrovsk region) has invested $325 million in production, according to Oleg Krykavsky, the company’s director of government relations, at the conference “Ukrainian Export: Through Thorns to the EU,” organized by the publication Ukrainska Pravda.
According to him, AMKR operates in difficult conditions, with electricity prices in Ukraine significantly higher than in Europe, because in Ukraine, companies buy expensive electricity on the market a day in advance, while in a number of European Union countries, long-term contracts are in place and special state programs to support metallurgy are being introduced to stimulate economic growth.
In particular, there are special mechanisms for reducing the cost of electricity on the French market through nuclear power plants, and in Germany, there are plans to allocate €6.5 billion and introduce a number of additional measures, including regulating the upper price limit to €60 per MWh (although industry insists on a price of €50), while in Ukraine, prices are constantly rising and have already reached $180 per MWh. Therefore, the Ukrainian government must also implement similar solutions to preserve industrial potential and jobs.
“Despite the current challenges, we continue to invest: during the full-scale invasion, our investments amounted to more than $325 million. These include repairs, modernization, logistics, preparation for European standards, and future capital projects,” Krykavsky stated.
He added that the key tasks for AMKR remain unchanged: integration into the EU, investment in development, and support for Ukrainian production even in the most difficult times.
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih is the largest producer of long products in Ukraine. It specializes in the production of long products, in particular, rebar and wire rod. The company has a full production cycle, with production capacities designed for an annual output of over 6 million tons of steel, more than 5 million tons of rolled products, and over 5.5 million tons of pig iron.
ArcelorMittal owns Ukraine’s largest mining and metallurgical complex, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, and a number of small companies, including ArcelorMittal Beryslav.
Ferrexpo plc, a mining company with its main assets in Ukraine, produced 2 million 808,594 thousand tons of pellets in January-September this year, which is 38.5% less than in the same period last year (4 million 567,168 thousand tons).
According to the company’s press release on Monday, total production of commercial products (pellets and iron ore concentrate) for the first nine months of 2025 increased by 0.9% to 5 million 67,888 thousand tons. In particular, the output of commercial concentrate amounted to 2 million 259,294 thousand tons against 457,264 thousand tons, respectively. The company also produced 81,787 thousand tons of DR pellets (326,168 thousand tons in the first nine months of 2024) and 2 million 726,807 thousand tons of premium pellets (a decrease of 35.7%).
The press release notes that due to the ongoing suspension of VAT refunds, the total amount of VAT withheld currently stands at $47 million. Due to the resulting reduction in financial liquidity, the group was forced to reduce production to a single rolling mill line, but was able to increase production of low-alumina Fe67% concentrate to meet demand from Chinese customers.
As a result, total commercial production for the quarter reached 1.51 million tons, up 3% from 1.46 million tons in the second quarter and down 29% from 2.1 million tons in the first quarter.
It is also noted that the group continued to work actively to reduce overall cash expenditures. This included reducing working hours for employees, continuously reducing purchases of goods and services, and suspending all non-essential capital expenditures, overhead costs, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenses.
Commenting on the group’s performance, interim CEO Lucio Genovese noted that the third quarter of 2025 was the first quarter in which the company fully felt the impact of the Ukrainian tax authorities’ decision to suspend VAT refunds to Ukrainian subsidiaries.
“Despite the further reduction of pelletizing capacity to one line, we achieved a total production volume of 1.5 million tons for the quarter. Production for the first nine months of 2025 was comparable to the same period last year, totaling 5.1 million tons. High demand from Chinese customers for our high-quality low-alumina concentrates allowed us to increase production by 36% compared to the previous quarter and almost four times since the beginning of the year compared to the same period last year,” the top manager said.
At the same time, he pointed out that the tax authorities’ refusal to refund VAT remains the most important problem for the business. He recalled that the group had received official notifications from the tax authorities about the suspension of VAT refunds from March 2025 for the period beginning in January 2025. Similar notifications were received every month until July, and the total amount of unrecovered VAT for this period is $47 million. If VAT refunds are also suspended for August and September, the estimated total amount of unrecovered VAT will be $58 million.
At the same time, cost-cutting measures introduced in the second quarter continued in the third quarter. At the end of September, approximately 20% of employees were on leave or had reduced working hours.
During the third quarter, VAT issues were exacerbated by Russia’s intensified air attacks on Ukraine’s railway network and domestic energy infrastructure. These issues create additional challenges in managing operations and logistics.
Ferrexpo produced 2 million 169,631 thousand tons of rolled products in the first half of 2025, which is 34.2% less than in January-June 2024 (3 million 297,441 thousand tons). Total production of commercial products in the first half of 2025 decreased by 9% compared to the first half of 2024, to 3 million 393,135 thousand tons. In particular, the output of commercial concentrate amounted to 1 million 223,504 thousand tons against 429,865 thousand tons, respectively. The company also produced 81,787 thousand tons of DR pellets (in the first half of 2024 – 162,645 thousand tons) and 2 million 87,844 thousand tons of premium pellets (a decrease of 33.4%).
In Q1 2025, Ferrexpo produced 1 million 347,749 thousand tons of pellets, which is 26% less than in January-March last year (1 million 813,973 thousand tons). At the same time, total production of commercial products (pellets and iron ore concentrate) in Q1 2025 increased by 3% compared to Q1 2024, reaching 2 million 125,467 thousand tons. In particular, the output of commercial concentrate amounted to 777,718 thousand tons, compared to 240,516 thousand tons in Q1 2024. The company also produced 81,879 thousand tons of DR pellets (not produced in Q1 2024), 1 million 105,049 thousand tons of premium pellets (a decrease of 36%), and 160,913 thousand tons of other pellets (an increase of 95%).
In 2024, Ferrexpo increased its production of pellets by 58% compared to 2023, from 3 million 845,325 thousand tons to 6 million 70,541 thousand tons.
Ferrexpo owns 100% of Yeristovsky GOK LLC, 99.9% of Bilanovsky GOK LLC, and 100% of Poltavsky GOK PJSC.
