News

Rural households, smallholder farmers and small-scale agricultural enterprises will benefit from a $15.5 million project funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to support the functioning, reinforcement and strengthening of value chains in agriculture, fisheries and forestry, and their adaptation to the wartime conditions. 

The project will focus on supporting producers in Lvivska, Ivano-Frankivska, Zakarpatska and parts of Chernivetska oblast with matching grants for on-farm and value chain-based investments coupled with extension and advisory support. 

Mr. Taras Vysotskyi, the First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, spoke in the national information telethon «United News» about the upcoming spring sowing campaign, the problems with grain exports and why the food initiative «Grain from Ukraine» supports not only African countries, but also Ukrainian farmers.

According to his opinion, while last year as of February 24, 2022 the agrarians were fully prepared for the sowing campaign, now there is a problem with liquidity, availability of finance, which complicates and slows down the preparation for field work. At the same time, the farmers are strongly intended to work.

The fall in real gross domestic product (GDP) of Ukraine in 2022 is estimated at 30.4% [±2%], which is better than preliminary forecasts, the Economy Ministry said on Thursday.

As noted in a press release from the ministry, in December, the fall in GDP is estimated at 34% [±2%] compared with 37% [±2%] in November, given a certain stabilization of the energy supply situation after shelling in November.

Almost 39 million tons of grain, oil crops and their processing products have been shipped by Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. Among the three leaders among the agricultural crops that were shipped during the 10 months of the war, there is corn – 15.6 million tons, wheat – 8.6 million tons, and sunflower oil – 3.3 million tons.