Consumer goods

Ukrproduct [UKR LN, N/R], a Ukrainian independent dairy producer, held an emergency general meeting on January 29, 2009.

The Ukrainian Parliament has endorsed legislation on increasing the excise tax on beer by a total of 58.1% in 2009. The increase will be implemented in two steps. Beginning January 1, 2009, the excise tax will be increased to USD 0.05 (UAH 0.39) and then subsequently, in July 2009, will finally be raised to USD 0.065 (UAH 0.49).

The Kyiv Cardboard Paper Mill [KIKP UZ, N/R] in Obukhiv (Kyiv Region) – a leading Ukrainian pulp and paper producer – has released results for the first eleven months of 2008. From January to November 2008, the company increased production by 36.7% YoY (to UAH 1.029 bln), according to Interfax-Ukraine.

The Luhansk-based Rubizhnoye Cardboard and Packaging Mill one of Ukraine's largest cardboard packaging producers – cut corrugated cardboard production in January-November 2008 cut production by 20.2% compared to the same period in 2007 (to 167.135 mln sq.m.).

The Zhydachiv Pulp and Paper Plant [ZCPK UZ, N/R] – the monopoly producer of newsprint in Ukraine, and located in the Lviv Region – recorded a 16.7% increase in production (to UAH 420.294 mln) YoY for the period January-November 2008. These figures were released by the plant’s owner Osnova-Papir.

Shostka [SHMK UZ, N/R], a Ukrainian dairy producer, is going to consider a private additional share issue of 0.4 mln ordinary shares at a par value of USD 2.4 (UAH 19.21) and the injection of a USD 0.9 mln (UAH 7.4 mln) into its Statutory Fund, according to the Ukrainian News agency. The final decision is to be taken by Shostka’s shareholders at their AGM on February 3, 2009.

The Ukrproduct group [UKR LN, N/R], an independent Ukrainian dairy producer, has decreased its CapEx by 22% YoY to USD 1.3 mln.

Myronivskiy Khliboprodukt [MHPC LN, U/R] is a vertically integrated holding consisting of 20 enterprises with a focus on poultry production, grain cultivation and sunflower oil trading.

According to an official press release issued by Ukrros, the government-owned UkrExIm bank opened a line of credit for UAH 65 mln at 22.75% annual interest rate for the Orzhytskiy Sugar Refinery that was recently acquired by Ukrros. The loan agreement was signed November 21, 2008 and is due to be repaid on August 31, 2009. The received funds will be directed towards the further development of the company.

According to official data released by the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, in October 2008 Ukraine’s cheese exports increased by 9.4% MoM to 6.7 thsd mt (USD 33.6 mln). Exports in January-October 2008 increased by 28.6% YoY to 63.95 thsd mt (USD 338.1 mln).