Page 60 - UKRRptMay19

who is also named in the US sanctions lists.
Experts estimate the cost of the deal for VEB will be between RUB30bn ($466mn) to RUB130bn ($2bn).
9.1.5 Retail sector news
Korrespondent magazine has named Ukraine’s most expensive brands. The rating of 50 brands was published in No. 7 (823) for April 11, 2019. The five leaders remained the same compared to last year’s similar rating: Kyivstar ($245.2mn), Morshynska ($178.2mn), Foxtrot ($176.9mn), Darnytsia ($172,2mn) and Rozetka ($168.7mn) Nova Posta, PrivatBank, Oschadbank, Citrus, Epitsenter, Roshen, OLX and MAU entered the top 20. There is a cumulative increase in the value of brands: in 2018 all 33 brands included in the rating were estimated at $3.8bn, this year top 33 brands out of 50 cost almost $4.3bn.
9.1.6 Agriculture sector news
Ukraine's 2019 grain harvest is likely to be at the previous season's level of 70mn tonnes, acting agriculture minister Olga Trofimsteva said on Thursday. She told reporters that this volume would allow Ukraine to export around 49mn tonnes of various grains in the 2019/20 season, which runs from July to June. Ukraine harvested 70mn tonnes of grain in 2018 and has exported 39.2mn tonnes so far in the season. Analysts forecast this year's harvest at up to 71mn tonnes.
Ukraine’s harvest of rapeseed, used for canola cooking oil, is to jump by 23% this year, predicts AgroConsult. This increase would put Ukraine in fifth place world wide – after Canada, the EU, China, and India. Exports of seed would increase by 17%, to 2.9mn tons. With new investment in crushing plants, processing into cooking oil is to jump by 50% this year, to 500,000 tons, predicts Yulia Garkavenko, the consulting group’s oil market expert.
Corn was king according to the final breakdown of Ukraine’s record 2018
harvest of 70mn tons, 13% bigger than the year before. The State Statistics Service reports: Corn – 35.8mn tons; Wheat -- 24.6mn tons; Sunflower seeds – 14.2mn tons; and Soybeans – 4.5mn tons.
Grain exports should hit 49mn tons this marketing year, up by almost one quarter from the comparable July 2017/June 2018 period. So far grain exports have hit 37mn tons, up 23% from the same period last year, according to the Agriculture Ministry.
Almost $1bn was invested last year in food processing in Ukraine, Prime Minister Groysman said at a recent agricultural fair, Agroport West Lviv. Noting that this accounted for about 28% of the $3.3bn invested in farming last year, he said: “Our task is to change this structure...We must increase the in-depth processing of Ukrainian products.”
60 UKRAINE Country Report May 2019 www.intellinews.com