A regional agricultural forum organized by the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC) with the support of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Military Administration was held in Khmelnytsk region. The event brought together more than 150 local agricultural producers, experts, and government officials.

The organizers emphasized that the main goal of the event was to establish ongoing communication between farmers, government agencies, and parliament, as well as to form a common position that Ukraine should defend in negotiations with the European Union.

The UAC Chairman Andrii Dykun stressed that farmers today work virtually without any state support, and with Ukraine's accession to the EU, the industry may face massive restrictions and losses.

He stressed that the main challenge is not only the future rules of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, but also the lack of systematic dialogue with European legislators and institutions that shape policy for future EU members.

"On the path to European integration, it is important to strengthen cooperation between the Verkhovna Rada's agricultural committee and the European Parliament's agricultural committee, as well as other European institutions that make key decisions for the agricultural sector. Such dialogue needs to be established now so that Ukraine can clearly and consistently represent its position in Europe," Andrii Dykun mentioned.

Serhii Labaziuk, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, emphasized that parliament must work together with business on legislative changes that will determine future rules for the agricultural sector.

“The government must stand alongside business where decisions are made. Legislative changes must be formulated before they begin to harm producers. And the agreement on Ukraine's accession to the EU must be signed in such a way that it takes into account the interests of Ukrainian agribusiness,” he said.

Forum participants also stressed that for effective negotiations with the EU, it is critically important to have a Ministry of Agricultural Policy, as it is this ministry that should represent the interests of the industry in the negotiation process and in the implementation of EU standards.

Serhii Ivashchuk, a member of the UAC board, noted that, along with the challenges of European integration, farmers also faced a number of internal problems. Those included working with retail chains, non-transparent terms of cooperation, and late payments. According to him, producers needed fair market rules and responsible behavior from retailers.

In turn, UAC board member Ihor Hai highlighted the daily practical difficulties faced by farms: compensation for land occupied by fortifications, size restrictions on the movement of agricultural machinery, and the high cost and complexity of logistics in wartime.

At the end of the forum, participants created a permanent working group from Khmelnytskyi region with the participation of representatives of the agricultural sector, people's deputies, and regional authorities, which will address the issues raised and develop joint solutions for the industry.

The forum was also attended by: Serhii Tyurin, Head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional State Administration; Chairwoman of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Council Violeta Labazuk, Chairman of the State Food and Consumer Service Serhii Tkachuk, Deputy Head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional State Administration Roman Uzhva, Director of the Department of Agricultural Development of the Ministry of Economy Bagrat Akhidzhanov, People’s Deputies Volodymyr Vatras, Serhiy Mandziy, Bohdan Lukashuk, and others.

The UAC thanks all participants for their participation in the forum and constructive suggestions.