Foreign combine harvesters could turn up in Ternopil

When in Ternopil, A. Holmer, president of Germany's Holmer Machinenbau Gmbh., a prominent maker of combine harvesters, visited the Ternopil Combine Factory Joint Stock Company. During the visit, Mr. Holmer told about plans to repair and service Holmer beet harvesters. To do so, the German side is preparing to install its own equipment in Ternopil and train Ukrainian specialists in Germany. The letter of intent even envisions joint production of Holmer combines. Chief of the oblast administration's industry, power-engineering, transport and communications department Mykola Holovach assured The Day this would not be a “hybrid of our and German machines.” In all probability, the Holmer and the Ternopil-made harvesters will remain as they are.

However, the oblast authorities seem to be unaware of a different, far more serious, danger. It is easy to calculate: if the German king of sugar beet planting is to be assembled in Ukraine, it will sharply drop in price, due to cheap labor, and thus oust from the market our beet harvesters, such as Ternopil-made KB-6 or the modernized KS. Advisor to chairman of the board of directors of the Ternopil Combine Factory Heorhy Smakouz does not deny this kind of threat, but he is sure the price of the Cholmer's Ukrainian version, even though falling, will still be much higher than in its native country. Still, nobody has yet given any explanation in economic terms.