Taras Vysotskyi: Restoring maritime agricultural exports requires international support

Full-scale exports through the ports of Greater Odesa remain a key condition for Ukraine’s economic resilience and global food security. Despite enormous losses, the agricultural sector continues to be the country’s main exporter and provides food for about 400 million people worldwide. Protecting logistics routes, opening new markets, and supporting Ukrainian farmers require consolidated efforts of the state and the diplomatic corps. This was stated by Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Taras Vysotskyi during a meeting with the heads of Ukraine’s foreign diplomatic missions.

"Cumulative losses of the agricultural sector since 2022 have already exceeded USD 90 billion, and arable land has shrunk by almost a quarter. Despite this, agriculture sustains the economy — 20% of all employed Ukrainians work in the sector, which generates about 56% of the country’s export revenue. Our most urgent task today is the restoration of safe navigation and full-scale exports from the ports of Greater Odesa. There is no alternative to this route in the medium term. I urge every ambassador to actively engage international support for protecting our logistics, as this is a matter of global food security," emphasized Taras Vysotskyi.

The Minister outlined the key priorities of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, which serves as the institutional center of European integration and economic resilience of Ukraine’s largest export sector during the full-scale war.

The Ministry’s work is built around three interconnected priorities:
• European integration of the agricultural sector and implementation of EU legislation.
• Support for producers, especially in frontline territories and areas of risky farming.
• Development of processing and production of goods with high added value.

Taras Vysotskyi announced that the Ministry is already developing new mechanisms of state support for farmers in 2027. These include:
• Compensation for lost crops at UAH 10,460 per hectare.
• Compensation for land occupied by fortification structures at UAH 3,900 per hectare.

Other priorities include opening new foreign markets, developing bioenergy, land reclamation and irrigation restoration after the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Plant, and expanding farmers’ access to concessional loans under the “5-7-9” program.

By 2030, Ukraine plans to increase the share of value-added products in agricultural exports from the current 57% to 70%.

Following the session, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine agreed on further joint steps to provide diplomatic support for Ukrainian agro-exports, open new markets, and strengthen international backing for Ukraine’s agricultural sector.