Land reclamation is a strategic investment for sustainable agricultural production

UkrAgroConsult

Climate change, water scarcity, and increasing risks to agricultural production are forcing Ukraine to rethink its approach to water resource management. Land reclamation is no longer just a tool for increasing yields — it is becoming a strategic condition for the stability of the agricultural sector Water management has become a critical issue for all regions, not just the south.

Land reclamation reform in Ukraine is one of the key priorities for state support and international institutions. Now, the area of irrigated land totals about 130,000 hectares. Ukraine has the potential to restore irrigation to an area of over 1 million hectares in the coming years.

Against this backdrop, the issues of land reclamation reform and irrigation development became key topics during the panel discussion at the BLACK SEA GRAIN.KYIV-2026 International Agricultural Conference.

Panelists:

• Iryna Ovcharenko — Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine
• Taras Kot — First Deputy Head of the State Agency of Ukraine for Land Reclamation, Fisheries, and Food Programs
• Yuriy Kiriyak — Director of the Kherson Regional Center for Hydrometeorology, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences
• Margarita Stepanova — Head of the Department of Geoinformation Technologies, Management, and Economic Research at the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences
• Denis Marchuk — Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Agri Council
• Lesya Tochytska — Chairwoman of the “LESYNI DZHERELA” WUO

Key aspects:

• Economic feasibility of investments and integration of innovative approaches into water management systems
• Climate risks and the specifics of practical work in the new climate reality
• Needs, potential, and opportunities for further expansion of irrigated areas in Ukraine
• The role and tasks of Water User Organizations (WUOs) in the agricultural sector. Benefits, challenges, and risks.
• Pitfalls of land reclamation. Practical case studies of irrigation implementation by agricultural enterprises.
• Government support for agricultural producers using reclaimed land

Tags: Ukraine, land reclamation, crop forecast, climate change, water, BLACK SEA GRAIN.KYIV - 2026