Vitalii Koval, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Italy to Ukraine Carlo Formosa and representatives of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM). The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister Oksana Osmachko and Head of the State Fisheries Agency Vladyslav Nevesely.

The parties discussed possible areas of cooperation between the two countries in the agricultural sector. In particular, the Ambassador of Italy to Ukraine and a representative of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation signed a project document entitled "Programme to Support the Restoration of the Economic Potential of the Agri-Food Industry of Ukraine" with the support of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, and CIHEAM.

The project will be implemented in Odesa region. In particular, Berezovsky, Rozdilnyansky and Odesa districts. The support will cover 16,200 (approximately 48,000 people) small and medium-sized farms.

The aim of the project is to support small and medium-sized agribusinesses, improve the position of Ukrainian agri-food products on global markets by providing technological support and improving their quality in line with European standards, and develop livestock production. The project also envisages the provision of support for the development of irrigation systems in Odesa region. The main idea of the project is training and creation of cooperatives for the processing of agricultural products from small agricultural enterprises, establishing stable links between the Ukrainian and Italian markets.

Vitalii Koval stressed that small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the economy and the agricultural sector both in Ukraine and Italy. According to him, the stability of Ukraine's economy is ensured through the activities of the agricultural sector.

"The Italian side has confirmed its readiness to invest in the restoration and development of the Ukrainian agricultural sector. In particular, the new Pro.UKR project, which is being implemented with the support of AICS and CIHEAM, is expected to allocate more than EUR 11 million to develop irrigation infrastructure, support cooperatives, provide small farmers with machinery and integrate Ukrainian agribusiness into the European market. This is another step towards the effective restoration of Ukrainian agriculture and the expansion of cooperation with the EU," Vitalii Koval stressed.

The Minister noted that Italy produces a lot of finished products, such as juice, pasta, wine and sweets. Ukraine currently exports mainly grain and corn. At the same time, the cost of exporting one tonne of Italian agricultural products is USD 2,670, while the cost of exporting Ukrainian products is only USD 315. Last year, Ukraine exported USD 24 billion worth of agricultural products, while Italy exported USD 70 billion. Therefore, it is crucial for Ukraine to develop agro-processing.

"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 to determine the correct positioning of Ukrainian products in the EU markets," the Minister said.

Vitalii Koval also thanked the Italian people and government for their consistent support of Ukraine.

More information can be found at the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine official website.