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supermarkets. This applies not only to food products but also to non-food products," he added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine officially confirmed that the brands of the Inditex distribution group: Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, and Zara Home, are returning to Ukraine.
How did the largest players in grocery retail develop in 2023? Ukraine's top ten FMCG operators in terms of the total number of stores remained almost unchanged. Only one new player appeared in the list of leaders - the Marketopt chain of stores, which has 166 stores in seven regions. In June 2023, the stable top three of ATB, Fozzy Group, and VolWest Retail seemed steadfast. But by the end of the year, the Myasomarket chain (+76 stores) moved into third place in terms of the number of stores, supplanting VolWest Retail. The size of their network has increased to 269 locations. In turn, the Fozzy Group opened 53 stores (+7%). The ATB company increased its number of stores in 2023 by 3.9% to 1,207. The VolWest Group, which develops the Nash Kray and SPAR chains, showed a 4% increase. As of December, these two networks together had 259 locations - 10 more than in 2022. At the same time, in 2023, Clever Stores, which opened 70 new stores, had the highest growth rate (+40.1%). The total number of its stores reached 234 locations.
9.1.6 Agriculture sector news
Ukraine has finished collecting the previous season's harvest, and 11% more grain was harvested. The collection ended on March 14. According to preliminary data, the volume of the harvested grain crops is 11.1% higher than the previous year due to a higher yield
How the state supports the agricultural sector in 2024: a list of programs.
This year, the government expanded the list of programs designed to support farmers who have been working in conditions of war for the third year in a row and, despite these difficulties, continue to support national and global food security. Here are the following support programs for agricultural producers:
● Available Credit 5-7-9 - agricultural producers can receive loans of up to ₴90M and processing enterprises up to ₴150M.
● Grants for developing gardens and greenhouses - up to ₴7M or ₴10M, respectively.
● Compensation for up to 50% of the cost for restoration and construction of reclamation systems (₴200M has been laid down in the state budget for this year).
● Compensation for the cost of domestic agricultural machinery - up to 25%. ● Small farms (up to 120 hectares) located in de-occupied territories and communities where hostilities took place will receive financial support in the amount of ₴8,000 per hectare.
● Also, according to the financial support program for Ukraine from the EU Ukraine Facility, €8B will be directed to support Ukrainian businesses, particularly in the agricultural sector.
The Ministry of Agriculture of Ukraine assesses the profitability of the farm sector. In 2024, profitability will increase for all grain and oil crops. This is forecast provides that the situation with security and exports utilizing sea transport will not become more complicated, and the situation on the western
77 UKRAINE Country Report April 2024 www.intellinews.com