Conference Grain & Maritime Days in Odessa 2017: new stage and new success

Source

APK-Inform

17998

This year the 16th сonference Grain & Maritime Days in Odessa was held in non-standard format which was not unnoticed by state structures and by agricultural and maritime businessmen.

The General Sponsor was RISOIL, Buhler AG was exclusive sponsor while “Ukrtranslogistika 2”, “Sweet” and “Variant Agro Build” acted as the Conference sponsors.

Due to support of RISOIL, the General Sponsor, and huge enthusiasm of the company and organizers – APK Inform Agency and Interlegal, the first conference day was held in the RISOIL terminal at the Chernomorsk Sea Port. A comfortable conference hall, coffee break and lounge zones were installed at the territory of terminal, so the participants could not only enjoy information and talks but also observe and feel the port atmosphere – grain loading on boras of vessel, Risoil Terminal operation, and feel all the force of the Ukrainian grain export heart.

This year total amount of participants made up 500.

Key issues for discussion during two conference days were the following:

- Development of agribusiness in the current environment of Ukraine

- Global grain market: demand & supply, development forecast in 2017/18 MY

- Development trends of the Ukrainian grain market: production, exports, logistics

- Phytosanitary control in Ukraine vs. market expansion for Ukrainian agricultural products

- Trends in the Ukrainian maritime infrastructure development. Maritime transportation of grain cargoes

Speakers were the global experts in grain market, maritime business, state representatives, IFC, World Bank Group, the Bleyzer Foundation, FAO Investment Centre, the US investment company R.J. O’Brien, S&P Global Platts (the United Kingdom), Agrite, Aquavita Internationa, Cardiff Trading, APK Inform Agency, Interlegal, Risoil Terminal and representatives of the Supreme Council of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, top managers of the largest grain trading and shipping companies.

The first conference day was devoted to active networking and excursion to Risoil Terminal. The event had also a large information scope.

The Conference was opened by the discussion Development of agribusiness and infrastructure in the current environment of Ukraine, at which Oleg Ustenko (the Bleyzer Foundation), Eugen Osmochescu (World Bank Group), - Volodymir Topchiy (Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine), Ivan Miroshnychenko (Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine), Shota Khajishvili (CEO of Representative Office at RISOIL S.A.) and Raivis Veckagans (Head of the State Enterprise Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority) expressed their opinion concerning the economic situation in Ukraine, investment climate and attraction of investments into the agricultural sector and its infrastructure, latest events in agrarian policy, state support of agricultural business in Ukraine and trends in the Ukrainian maritime infrastructure development. Mykola Gorbachev, President of the Ukrainian Grain Association and moderator of the discussion also participated actively.

 

The real surprise and significant event was solemn signing of a bilateral agreement between the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) and the Chinese company China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd. on dredging works in the seaport Yuzhny. It was excellent performance of the new ASPU team work managed by Raivis Veckagans.

In order to introduce to the participants RISOIL activity results and development plans, Oleg Fotchenko, Director of JV RISOIL TERMINAL Ltd., and Tatyana Kulikova, Deputy Director on grain cargoes, JV RISOIL TERMINAL Ltd., made an interesting and informative presentation about annual results of Risoil Terminal, Achievements and prospects for development of Risoil grain terminal. Excursion to Risoil grain and oilseed terminals organized by the company management awoke large interest among the participants.

Special attention in the first day program was drawn to Legal issues for development of port terminals in the transshipment of export grain and oilseed cargoes highlighted by Interlegal partner Natalya Myroshnychenko highlighted by means of the company case study.

Final accord of the first conference day was the Round Table "Phytosanitary control in Ukraine vs. market expansion for Ukrainian agricultural products" where participants studied vital issues of phytosanitary control under grain export supply.

The first conference day was followed by the evening cocktail party at which participants could go on talking and enjoy brilliant music, taste meals and evening atmosphere at one of the largest Black Sea ports in Ukraine.

The second conference day was also full of extremely interesting reports and discussions held at the Atlantic Garden Resort.

The first session Global grain market: demand & supply, development forecast in 2017/18 MY was full of famous analysts who shared their forecasts not only global but also Asian, MENA (Middle East and North Africa) and Egyptian market development.

At the second session Maritime transportation of grain cargoes the issues related to grain maritime transportation were discussed in a vivid interactive atmosphere. One more vivid event was the panel discussion "Contemporary challenges for shipping" moderated by Interlegal partner Arthur Nitsevych. Its format supposed answers to questions from practice, namely: global and local shipping risks; reputation of brokers, carriers, traders, and other players of the international sea trade market; reliable sources of information and analysts; risk-management; advanced training of young specialists.

The third session Development trends of the Ukrainian grain market: production, exports, logistics, moderated by Rodion Rybchinskiy, Head of Business project unit, APK-Inform Agency, also drew attention and awoke interest among the audience. Reports of the Conference sponsors – Aleksey Grushko, Project Manager, VIP, VAB, and Julio Contreras, Vice-President, Sales, SWEET – awoke special interest.

Optional Round Tables also awoke vivid interest. The first Round Table touched the London arbitration news. Interlegal senior lawyer Andrey Perepelitsa highlighted new GAFTA clauses & new Rules of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA). Although the next Round Table concerned management issued not related to sea trade, it drew special attention, since Natalya Sashkina, Razvitie agency business coach, presented for the Conference delegates the Rules for effective delegation of tasks. In particular, she highlighted methods of probation and advanced professional training of staff and key faults in delegation approaches. The third Round Table was especially useful for foreign traders. Interlegal partner Irina Voyevodina disclosed the vital issues regarding non-resident companies, including: financial accounting in Panama; Scottish partnerships; Georgia and Estonian tax model; international payments and opening of bank accounts and many others.

At the next Round Table representatives of Charterers P&I Club, London, UK, and Andrejs Radionovs, Managing Director, Senior broker, Marine Insurance Services, Latvia, highlighted the issue of marine insurance, in particular, peculiarities of cargo insurance and charterers responsibility. Discussion was held in the interactive form in English. Finally, Alexander Sagaydak, Executive Director, Olvia Maritime, in the vivid and interesting form, highlighted the situation concerning control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments. The report awoke a vivid discussion upon what shipowners will do after the relevant International Convention comes into force in September 2017.

Having summarized the Conference Grain & Maritime Days in Odessa 2017, first of all we should highlight high level of reporters, broad range of reports covering 4 industries: grain production and processing, trading, cargo handling at ports and terminals and shipping. High level of the participants - top management companies, high representation level of state structures - everything shows that Grain & Maritime Days in Odessa it the leading event among principal forums not only in Ukraine but also in the whole Black Sea Region.

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