Ukraine and Italy expand cooperation in the agricultural sector

Italy will finance a new initiative for cooperation in the agricultural sector, which involves the implementation of a project in the Odessa region. The Pro.UKR project involves the development of irrigation systems, the creation of cooperatives for the processing of agricultural products, the provision of farmers with equipment and the integration of Ukrainian producers into the EU market.

This was discussed during a meeting between the Minister of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine Vitaliy Koval and the Ambassador of Italy Carlo Formosa, representatives of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Research (CIHEAM), writes Minagro.

The total budget of the initiative is over 11 million euros.

As a result of the negotiations, a project document was signed. This initiative involves the implementation of the project in the Odessa region, in particular in the Berezivskyi, Rozdilnyanskyi and Odessa districts. Support will cover about 16,200 small and medium-sized farms, which is approximately 48 thousand people.

The development of irrigation systems and the creation of agricultural processing cooperatives are also envisaged. A separate direction will be the integration of Ukrainian producers into the European market and the establishment of direct ties between Ukrainian and Italian companies.

Italy is ready to invest in the restoration of the Ukrainian agricultural sector

Koval emphasized that the Italian side has confirmed its readiness to invest in the restoration and development of the Ukrainian agricultural sector. Within the framework of the new Pro.UKR project, with the support of AICS and CIHEAM, more than 11 million euros will be allocated for the development of irrigation infrastructure, support for cooperatives, provision of small farmers with equipment, and the integration of Ukrainian agribusiness into the European market.

The minister paid special attention to the issue of the development of agricultural processing. He gave an example that the export value of one ton of Italian agricultural products is $2,670, while Ukrainian products are only $315. Last year, Ukraine exported agricultural products worth $24 billion, while Italy exported $70 billion.

This indicates the need to increase the share of processed products in exports and improve their positioning in EU markets.

According to him, Ukraine mainly supplies raw materials, while Italy exports products with high added value.

“It is important for us to change this situation by developing joint deep processing, creating more opportunities for Ukrainian producers and increasing the share of finished products in exports. We are also interested in Italy’s marketing experience in order to determine the correct positioning of Ukrainian products in EU markets,” Koval noted.

Tags: Ukraine, Italy, agricultural sector