UAE discusses new food security alliances with Ukraine

Ukraine’s vast capacity for grain production and its ability to export cereals to the UAE was one of the main topics.

A high-level delegation from the UAE led by Mariam Almheiri, Minister of State for Food and Water Security, was on a four-day visit to Ukraine to discuss ways to foster new sustainable agricultural investment partnerships in the European nation, which is one of the most natural-resource-rich countries in the world.
Ukraine’s vast capacity for grain production and its ability to export cereals to the UAE was one of the main topics discussed during the visit of Almheiri which concluded yesterday (September 15).

Discussions focused on ways to foster new tieups in order to establish competitive and sustainable agricultural investment projects.

“This visit was strategically important as it enabled us to explore the opportunities for creating a strong food security partnership with Ukraine,” stated the minister.

“While Ukraine can help the UAE meet the goals under the first of its five National Food Security Strategy pillars, diversifying international sources of food and foreign agricultural investments, we in turn can share our expertise in agricultural technology, particularly closed environment agriculture and aquaculture, to help the european nation establish a viable and productive AgTech sector,” she added.

Ukraine, she stated, was located on one of the world’s most prominent arable regions.

“More than two-thirds of the country’s ??600,000 sq km is allocated to agriculture, and more than half of this area is actually used and suitable for agricultural production. T?hese lands consist predominantly of black soil that contains a host of elements that ensure an abundant crop yield,” remarked Almheiri.

“The soil here is very fertile, which makes it exceptionally suited for growth crops, especially wheat, barley, maize, sugar beet, sunflower, soybean, and rapeseed,” she added.

Taking in a number of Ukraine’s cereal and sugar production and storage facilities during the visit, the minister held discussions on the various aspects of international grain trade and responsible foreign agricultural investment, such as logistics and supply line issues.

The conversations were all centred on exploring a strong food security alliance between Ukraine and the UAE.

The second day of the visit saw Almheiri meet the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Roman Mykolayovych Leshchenko, in the capital Kiev.

The duo held talks on the new reforms on investing in agricultural lands being introduced in Ukraine and the potential investment targets for privatisation

ZAWYA

Tags: Ukraine, UAE