Daily monitor

Kryukiv Railcar [KVBZ UZ, U/R] has announced the cancellation of its recent decision regarding the suspension of production activities, a decision that was taken upon receiving an order from Russia for production of 1,000 grain cars.

According to COCERAL, the national grain trade organization involving most of the European Union’s 27 member states, the estimated harvest for the EU-27 will total 286.4 mln mt of grain in the 2009/10 marketing year.

According from data from the State Statistics Committee, as of March 1, wage arrears had reached UAH 1.64 bln (USD 213 mln), a UAH 0.11 bln (USD 14.2 mln) increase, compared to February 2009.

On March 27, Motor Sich [MSICH UZ, BUY] held its AGM in Zaporizhya, at which time it was revealed that the company ended 2008 with net sales of UAH 2.47 bln (USD 466 mln), which is up by 17%; however, net income dropped by 56 times to UAH 3.8 mln (USD 0.72 mln) in comparison with 2007.

The State Statistics Committee has released disappointing data on salaries in Ukraine in February 2009.

The Energy Company of Ukraine (ECU) has transferred 52 mln shares of Odesaoblenergo [ODEN UZ, BUY] to the State Property Fund in order to privatize this stake in the company.

Sumy Frunze Machine Building [SMASH UZ, N/R] - one of largest European producers of equipment for the oil, gas, and chemical industries – has secured a deal with the Russian company ‘Tsentratomkomplekt’, for which it intends to supply pumping equipment for nuclear power plants. The contract is worth RUR 230 mln (UAH 53.226 mln as of March 25). According to SMASH’s press service, the equipment is to be delivered by October 2009.

Astarta [AST PW, BUY] has official stated that all agricultural farms which are affiliated with its company are at the final stage of preparing for the spring sowing campaign, which is due to start in the first week of April.

The Sumy Frunze Machine Building [SMASH UZ, N/R] company intends to deliver pumping equipment for nuclear power plants, valued at RUR 230 mln (UAH 53.226 mln or USD 6.8 mln as of March 25) to the Russian Tsentratomkomplekt company.

According to Ukrainian news, Ukrainian oil producers decreased sunflower oil production by 8.9% MoM to 215.8 thsd mt in February 2009.