On January 30, the Farmers’ Forum of Odesa Region, organized by the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC), was held in the city of Izmail. The event brought together agricultural producers of the region, representatives of central and local authorities, and Members of Parliament to discuss key challenges facing the agricultural sector and develop joint solutions.

During the forum, participants focused on a number of critically important issues for the region. In particular, discussions addressed the reimbursement to agricultural producers of funds paid during the export of rapeseed and soybeans following the introduction of export duties, legal regulation of the use of privately owned land for the construction and maintenance of fortification structures, the ban on maritime imports of ammonium nitrate, and transport logistics challenges, including transit through the Palanka–Maiaky–Udobne road section.

The key topic of the forum was land reclamation and irrigation development under conditions of prolonged drought. Currently, 16 Water Users Organizations have already been established in Odesa region. Both farmers and government representatives confirmed their interest in further development of irrigation infrastructure.

Oleksandr Haidu, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy, emphasized that land reclamation is one of the priority areas of the parliamentary committee’s work.

“We are actively advancing Draft Law No. 7577 ‘On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding the Development of Hydraulic Land Reclamation’ and plan to bring it to the second reading as soon as possible. This document provides farmers with a practical tool — the ability to independently manage irrigation networks through Water Users Organizations, reduce costs, stabilize yields, and plan investments,” Oleksandr Haidu noted.

Taras Vysotskyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, informed farmers about existing and planned state support instruments, particularly for regions with difficult climatic conditions and for the development of irrigation.

Andrii Dykun, Chairman of the Public Union “Ukrainian Agri Council,” focused on the challenges of European integration for the agricultural sector and the need to maintain the competitiveness of Ukrainian farmers.

“In the process of European integration, it is important to preserve the competitiveness of Ukrainian agricultural producers, particularly in third-country markets. Our task today is to unite and work more effectively with Parliament. Every vote matters, and every Member of Parliament from any region must understand that agricultural policy is a matter of national security,” Andrii Dykun emphasized.

Following the discussions, forum participants agreed to establish a working group consisting of Members of Parliament of Ukraine, representatives of профиль ministries, and farmers from Odesa region. The working group will develop practical solutions to improve legislation and respond to key challenges facing the region’s agricultural sector.

It should be noted that the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC) initiated the format of regional agricultural forums as a permanent platform for direct dialogue between farmers and authorities. Such forums have already been held in several regions of Ukraine and help to form a consolidated position of the agricultural community, which becomes the basis for further decisions at the national level.

Participants of the Farmers’ Forum of Odesa Region included:
Oleh Kiper — Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration; Oleksandr Haidu — Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy; Taras Vysotskyi — Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine; Iryna Ovcharenko — Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine; Andrii Dykun — Chairman of the Public Union “Ukrainian Agri Council”; Sokolov Mykhailo — Deputy Chairman of the Public Union “Ukrainian Agri Council”; Alla Stoianova — Board Member of the Public Union “Ukrainian Agri Council”; as well as Members of Parliament of Ukraine Stepan Cherniavskyi, Oleksii Honcharenko, and Anton Kisse.