Daily monitor

Land West [4K1A GR, U/R], a Ukrainian agricultural holding with 80 thsd ha of land bank in operation, is going to attract financing of USD 20 mln during second private placement. The deal’s details have not yet been disclosed.

According to the First Deputy Director General of Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ), Mykola Lukhanin, the state railroad administration intends to spend UAH 4.9 bln (USD 636 mln at an exchange rate of UAH 7.7 per USD) on the development of its infrastructure in 2009.

The Ukrros [UROS UZ, U/R], one of the top three sugar producers in Ukraine, is planning to increase its land cultivated with sugar beets by 38.5% YoY to 18 thsd ha in the 2009/10 marketing year.

The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided a five-year loan of USD 20 mln to Astarta [AST PW, BUY]. Astarta is going to use the EBRD loan to increase the energy efficiency of its sugar plants, as well as for refinancing its short term bank obligations.

The Mriya Holding [MAYA GR, U/R] has announced plans to expand its cultivated land for spring crops by 64.1% YoY to 98.6 thsd ha.

Myronivsky Khliboprodukt [MHPC LI, HOLD], a vertically integrated holding with a focus on poultry production and grain cultivation, plans to launch an oil extraction plant in the Chernyhiv Region of Ukraine by August-September 2009.

The State Property Fund of Ukraine announced the date of the auction for selling of state’s stake in Odesaoblenergo [ODEN UZ, BUY] - May 19, 2009.

The French company ‘Alstom’ is going to acquire a 25%+1 stake in the mother company of the Closed Joint-Stock Company ‘Transmashholding’ (TMH).

Ukrainian News reported on coke production for March, which amounted to 1.45 mln mt. This is up 19% MoM, but still 11% below the average 2008 monthly output of 1.63 mln mt, and 15% below the average 2007 monthly reading of 1.72 mln mt.

The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is going to inject a total of EUR 220 mln into the development of Ukrainian agricultural companies in 2009. According to Ukrainian News, Mr. Gilles Mettetal, Director of the Agribusiness team in Ukraine, negotiations with respect to the above are in progress.