UAC News

The UN-backed grain corridor is the main exit route for Ukrainian agricultural exports, so the decision by Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria to block them too will cause considerable damage to Ukrainian farmers and a sector hard hit by the war.

Kyiv's hope is that a negotiated solution will be found on a multilateral scale between Ukraine, the national governments involved and the European Commission (EC), whose decision to lift tariffs on its products triggered a reaction from the four eastern countries.

After a year of cooperation with the UN World Food Programme (UN WFP), Astarta has become one of its key food suppliers for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine.

All-Ukrainian public organization "Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation" together with member organizations of the Ukrainian National Agrarian Forum (UNAF) - Ukrainian Agribusiness Club, All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council, Agrarian Union of Ukraine - appeals to the EU Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (EU Food & Farming), EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council and Copa-Cogeca members organizations with a request to extend the preferential trade conditions between Ukraine and the EU at least till the end of 2024.

Ukrainian agriculture faces numerous challenges due to logistical problems, the occupation and mining of a large part of the territory, but remains among the world leaders almost a year after the Russian invasion.

The large-scale consequences of the war for agriculture have become profound and will probably continue for several more years, Pavlo Koval, general director of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, tells EFE. The beginning of the war "clipped the wings" of the industry, which had been developing rapidly for the past 5–7 years, with a record 106 million tons harvested in 2021.