Leading agrarian associations, Ukrainian and German farmers, industry experts gathered in Hanover for a round table "Marshall Plan for the agricultural sector of Ukraine", organized by the Ukrainian Agri Council, the Association of Milk Producers and the SAVEUA Charitable Foundation within the framework of the leading livestock exhibition EuroTier 2022. 

After Ukraine's victory, priority investments should be directed to the agricultural sector.

Andriy Dykun, head of the Ukrainian Agri Council and founder of the SaveUA Charitable Foundation, said:
"Compared to the EU countries, where the agricultural sector accounts for an average of 1% of GDP, the agricultural sector of Ukraine before the war was more than 17% of GDP and brought the country more than 40% of foreign exchange earnings. Because of the war, the export potential is not working at full capacity. We must start producing more value-added products and focus on the development of processing. This is already a certain agreement between the agricultural community and the Ukrainian government. We convinced the authorities that the agricultural sector is one of the priorities, as it is able to support the country's economy and provide jobs." 

Given the current losses and prospects of the agricultural sector, investments for recovery will reach tens of billions of dollars.

"The total losses of the agricultural sector amount to almost $ 40 billion, of which direct losses - $ 6.6 billion. It is $2.8 billion for agricultural machinery, more than $1.5 billion for production facilities, more than $1.5 billion for livestock complexes. Gardens and long-term plantings - almost $ 4.4 billion. This is the situation in which we live now. In addition, the agricultural sector has more than $ 35 billion of indirect losses, this is a lost profit: farmers did not harvest and did not sow a new crop, lost revenues from the sale of products, etc.” - said Hanna Lavreniuk, General Director of the Association of Milk Producers (AMP).

Agrarian associations are convinced that the Ukrainian agricultural sector should be restored in stages. The Ukrainian Agri Council and the Association of Milk Producers proposed their vision of the Marshall Plan for the restoration of the dairy industry of Ukraine, which consists of three stages.

According to the vice-president of the Association of Milk Producers Lyubomyr Dykun, the FIRST STAGE is to be implemented during the active phase of the war. This requires urgent support of Ukrainian producers. In particular, charitable material support to enterprises from the occupied territories that have lost livestock as a result of hostilities, for the purchase of breeding animals and material assistance for the repair of damaged facilities and destroyed equipment. It is extremely important to provide agricultural enterprises with generators for uninterrupted operation, veterinary medicines, vaccines, premixes, feed additives, and hygiene products for animals, etc.

The SECOND PHASE of the Marshall Plan includes technical support projects: reconstruction of farms, demining of agricultural land, purchase of breeding livestock and provision of services to agricultural enterprises.

The THIRD PHASE will directly shape the dairy industry of Ukraine. Great efforts and investments will be directed to the development of processing, cooperatives and the construction of research and educational agricultural institutions. 

"We already have a new strategy for future investments. Together with international partners, we need to create and develop cooperative milk processing plants, cooperative slaughterhouses, build genetic centers, educational and research facilities, create irrigation equipment factories. And it is equally important to educate specialists and encourage young people to work in the agricultural sector. To do this, it is necessary to create and build the Ukrainian Agrarian University", - summing up, Andriy Dykun emphasized that despite the war, Ukraine remains attractive to foreign investors - our government already has more than 250 applications from potential investors, most of them want to invest in the agricultural sector of Ukraine. 

At the same time, the Ukrainian Agri Council, the Association of Milk Producers, the Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders and the charitable foundation SaveUA are implementing several projects to support agricultural enterprises affected by the war together with international partners: FAO, USAID, the Government of Switzerland, etc.

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