Today in Russian Business – Dec 3, 2010

It is thought that 9% of winter grain sowings were damaged by dry soil.  Russia’s FIFA bid win ‘is great news for steel companies and transport and construction names‘.  Vladimir Putin thinks Roman Abramovich should pitch in to finance preparations for the tournament, which are already estimated at $10 billion: ‘Let him open up his wallet a bit. He’s got plenty of money.‘  This seems unlikely to convince anyone that there are no financial links between the two.  Pepsi’s plan to take a (66%, $3.8 billion) control stake in Wimm-Bill-Dann will create Russia’s largest food and beverage company, if it is approved by the government.  Russian Technologies is looking for a way of buying up the debts of its problem asset, the steelmaker Krasny Oktyabr, from Sberbank and Gazprombank.  Railway car and tank maker Uralvagonzavod has bought a controlling stake in French part-maker Sambre et Meuse, for an estimated $20-30 million, to help it meet demand.  Chelyabinsk Zinc has doubled its 2011 investment program to $40 million, as it seeks to raise output.