Japan to provide sunflower, corn seeds worth $1 mln to Ukrainian farmers

MOSCOW. March 10 (Interfax) - The Japanese government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide farmers in Ukraine's Kharkov region with sunflower and corn seeds for the spring sowing campaign.

This project was agreed at a meeting between Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Nikolai Solsky and representatives of the Japanese embassy in Kiev and the mission of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, Ukrainian media said, citing the Ukrainian ministry's website.

Japan procured sunflower and corn seeds worth more than $1 million for Ukrainian farmers, the ministry said. The seeds have already been delivered to warehouses in the country and will soon start to be distributed via the State Agrarian Register.

"Nikolai Solsky thanked the Japanese side for its comprehensive support extended to the agricultural sector of Ukraine. In addition, the minister and the Japanese side agreed to establish a training program for Ukrainian students at Dokuchayev Kharkov National Agrarian University as part of exchanges," the ministry said.

JICA is a Japanese governmental organization that provides technical assistance, capital grants and low-interest loans to foreign states' governments to help advance their potential and institutional development. JICA has been present in Ukraine since 2017, contributing to recovery efforts, including in the agricultural sector.