Ukraine and Italy discuss support for agricultural exports following russian attacks on ports

Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Taras Vysotskyi met Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to Ukraine Carlo Formosa. Deputy Minister Denys Bashlyk also attended the meeting.

The parties discussed the consequences of russian attacks on the port infrastructure of Greater Odesa, the risks to Ukrainian agricultural exports and potential ways for Italy to increase its support for Ukrainian agricultural producers.

Taras Vysotskyi noted that attacks on civilian vessels and port infrastructure in late July and early August had caused a significant decline in agricultural exports.

“The Ukrainian agricultural sector is facing a difficult situation. In August, we were able to export only around a third of the potential volume. Alternative routes could increase this figure to 50%, but they cannot fully replace the capacity of the Black Sea ports. We therefore face two challenges: maintaining resilient export routes while creating additional capacity to store the harvest,” Taras Vysotskyi emphasised.

According to the Minister, Ukraine’s agricultural export potential is estimated at around 60 million tonnes. If export capacity remains constrained, significant volumes of produce will require additional storage.

A key topic of the meeting was potential Italian support for Ukrainian agricultural producers in establishing temporary grain-storage capacity. The parties discussed the use of grain storage bags and other solutions, as well as a voucher system that would allow farmers to obtain the storage equipment and services they need directly.

“Ukraine has already secured around USD 35 million in international support for temporary grain storage, including USD 25 million from the World Bank and approximately USD 10 million from other partners. However, further funding is still needed,” Taras Vysotskyi said.

According to the Italian side, it is considering providing support through programmes run by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, including a voucher system that could complement the provision of grain storage bags.

The parties also discussed existing Ukrainian-Italian agricultural projects, particularly in Odesa region, where initiatives are already under way to restore and modernise irrigation systems, support farmers and develop rural areas.

Another important area of cooperation is the TERRA programme, which is intended to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized agricultural businesses. The parties agreed to work on accelerating the organisational decisions needed to put the programme into practice.

They also discussed support for restoring port and logistics infrastructure and strengthening the resilience of alternative routes for Ukrainian agricultural exports. The Minister stressed the importance of developing the EU Solidarity Lanes and diversifying logistics, particularly rail routes.