Business news from Ukraine

“Kernel” completes harvesting of early grain crops with record yields

Agroholding “Kernel”, one of the largest in Ukraine, with a record yield completes harvesting of early grain crops, under which 70 thousand hectares are allocated, the press service of the agroholding reported.

“This year’s winter wheat yield, depending on the region of the cluster location, was from 5.8 to 7.3 tons/ha. The weighted average yield is almost 70% higher than last year’s figure,” the agroholding said on Facebook.

According to “Kernel”, on the post-harvest areas are implemented programs of biologization of farming. To support biodiversity and improve soil fertility, cover crops have already been sown on 22 thousand hectares.

It is noted that agronomic divisions of the agroholding continue to test and research the effectiveness of using different mixtures of cover crops to assess their impact on physical and chemical characteristics, microbiological activity of soil and phytosanitary condition of fields.

Before the war, Kernel Agro Holding ranked first in the world in sunflower oil production (about 7% of world production) and exports (about 12%). It is one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine. In addition, it is engaged in growing agricultural products and their realization.

The largest co-owner of Kernel through Namsen Ltd. – is Ukrainian businessman Andriy Verevsky, who this year increased his stake from 41.3% to 74.05% as part of the buyout and delisting of the agroholding from the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Kernel’s net profit for the first nine months of FY 2023 (July-2022-March 2023) rose 36% to $437 mln, while revenue fell 45% to $2.715 bln.

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Wheat production in world this year can break a record

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) in September raised the forecast for world wheat harvest in 2022 to 787.2 million tons, which is 1% more than was harvested in 2021, according to a summary of the organization.

“And, perhaps, (the indicator) will reach an even higher, record level. This is due to a higher than expected harvest in the European Union and the Russian Federation,” the document says.

In general, world grain production will decrease by 1.7% – to 2 billion 768 million tons, including feed grain – by 2.8%, to 1 billion 468 million tons, “due mainly to unfavorable agrotechnical conditions in the United States “explain FAO experts.

In addition, global rice production in 2022 is expected to reach 512.8 million tonnes, down 2.4% from the all-time high of 2021. The decline in the forecast compared to September is due to a prolonged summer drought, high temperatures in China and flooding in Pakistan, the document says.

As expected, grain consumption in the 2022/2023 agricultural year may decrease by 0.5% – to 2 billion 788 million tons, mainly due to a decrease in feed consumption.

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Inflation in Eurozone reaches record

Consumer prices in the euro area in June increased by 8.6% in annual terms, according to the final data of the Statistical Office of the European Union.
The indicator is the maximum since the beginning of the data calculation.
Thus, inflation in the region accelerated compared to 8.1% in May.
The final data coincided with the preliminary ones. Analysts polled by Trading Economics also did not expect a revision in the preliminary estimate.
The growth of consumer prices compared to the previous month amounted to 0.8%, as in May.
Inflation is over four times the European Central Bank’s (ECB’s) target of 2%. The next meeting of the ECB will take place on Thursday, and it is likely that as a result of it, key interest rates will be raised immediately by 50 basis points, and not by the expected 25 bp.
According to Eurostat, energy resources jumped in price by 42% compared to June last year. Food, alcohol and tobacco increased in price by 3.7%, manufactured goods – by 4.3%, services – by 3.4%.
Consumer prices excluding food and energy rose 3.7% year-on-year last month from 3.8% in May.
In the European Union, inflation in June accelerated to 9.6% in annual terms from 8.8% in May.
The lowest inflation in the EU was recorded in Malta (6.1%), France (6.5%) and Finland (8.1%), the highest – in Estonia (22%), Lithuania (20.5%). ) and Latvia (19.2%).

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UKRAINIAN STARTUPS ATTRACTED RECORD $780 MLN IN VENTURE INVESTMENTS IN 2021

In 2021, Ukrainian startups attracted venture investments in 216 transactions for a record amount of $779.6 million, which is 46% more than in 2020, these are the results of the annual study Ukraine Deal Review 2021, conducted by the Ukrainian Association of Venture and Private Capital UVCA in partnership with Kreston Ukraine, AVentures and ISE Corporate Accelerator.
“For the first time I will say this figure – $2.8 billion over 8 years, of which $780 million last year was a total investment in the Ukrainian ecosystem, which was invested by foreigners,” Andriy Kolodyuk, head of the UVCA Supervisory Board, commented on these results to Interfax-Ukraine. .
As in the previous period, about half of the deals (47%) came from the Ukrainian Startup Fund (USF). Investments attributed to private equity amounted to $82.8 million, while only agreements with a declared amount were calculated.
UVCA added that in 2021 the Ukrainian venture capital market was replenished with six new players: GEEK Ventures, SID Venture Partners, ZAS Ventures, ANCHOR, PAWA. They offer Ukrainian startups financing at the level of $0.5 million, as well as their experience and expertise. In addition, last year 19 large international companies opened their R&D centers, offices and engineering hubs in Ukraine.
“But the most important thing that happened in the first quarter of 2022 was 11 transactions and 8 exits. It is very important for the ecosystem that transactions continue. Despite large-scale Russian aggression, the development of private technology investment markets has not stopped,” Kolodyuk emphasized.
According to the report, according to the results of January-March 2022, 11 venture agreements were concluded for the amount of $11.5 million, three transactions in the private capital market for the amount of $4 million, and eight exits were made for the amount of $135 million. Over the past year, UVCA estimated the total cost of the exit at $944 .7 million
According to the study, the total valuation of Ukrainian startups before the war was $20.7 billion.

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IN UKRAINE RECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE VACCINATED AGAINST COVID PER DAY

The Ministry of Health announced a record number of citizens vaccinated against COVID-19, a total of 97,130 people were vaccinated on June 25.
“A record number of vaccinations per day in Ukraine! 97,130 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 on June 25, 2021,” the Ministry of Health’s Telegram channel said on Saturday.
A total of 36,540 people received one dose, 60,590 citizens were fully immunized.
Since the beginning of the vaccination campaign, 1.871.511 people have been vaccinated, of which 1.871.509 people received one dose, 550,966 people are fully immunized (two doses) (two of them are abroad).

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EXPORT OF HONEY FROM UKRAINE IN 2020 REACHED AN ABSOLUTE RECORD

Export of honey from Ukraine in 11 months of 2020 reached an absolute record – 69,084 tonnes with a total value of $117.5 million, national consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Hanna Burka has said.
“There is less than a month left before the start of the New Year 2021, but there is already a record for the export of honey. Its export from Ukraine in 11 months of 2020 reached an absolute record – 69,800 tonnes for a total of $117.5 million. The previous record was set in 2017 – 67,800 tonnes ($133.9 million),” she wrote on her Facebook page.
According to the expert, high demand for Ukrainian honey is observed from the countries of the European Union. It is due to a number of reasons: uncertainty with the further development of the situation with COVID-19, respectively, the active formation of residues for the entire 2020/21 season; poor honey harvest in the EU: according to preliminary estimates, its harvest fell by 40% due to unfavorable weather conditions.
Ukraine in 2019 exported 49,740 tonnes of honey (12 months), in 2018 – 41,740 tonnes.

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