Ukraine and Italy are expanding cooperation in the agricultural sector by signing a new agreement for 11 million euros. Financing will be provided by Italy within the framework of the Pro.UKR project, which is aimed at supporting Ukrainian farmers and strengthening agricultural infrastructure.

The main focus of the initiative is the development of irrigation systems, the creation of cooperatives for processing agricultural products, providing farmers with modern equipment and integrating Ukrainian agricultural producers into the European market. The project will be implemented in the Odessa region, in particular in the Berezivskyi, Rozdilnyanskyi and Odessa districts.

Agreements on the launch of the initiative were reached during a meeting between the Minister of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine Vitaliy Koval and the Italian Ambassador Carlo Formosa, representatives of the Italian Agency for the Development of Cooperation (AICS) and the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Research (CIHEAM).

The support will cover about 16,200 small and medium-sized farms, which corresponds to approximately 48 thousand people. It is expected that new opportunities will allow local farmers to increase productivity, improve product quality and strengthen export potential.

In addition to infrastructure modernization, an important component of the project will be the establishment of ties between Ukrainian and Italian agricultural companies. This will contribute to the entry of Ukrainian producers into the EU market and the introduction of European standards in the industry.

The joint project with Italy is an important step for the development of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine, especially in conditions of war and economic challenges. The planned measures will increase the resilience of the agricultural sector and make it more competitive at the international level.