FAO to draw $290 mln to support Ukrainian agrarian sector

MOSCOW. Jan 29 (Interfax) - The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) plans to draw about $290 million to support Ukrainian agricultural producers, including $150 million for rapid response and $138 million for mid-term development, Ukrainian media said, citing a FAO press release after a meeting of FAO officials and agriculture ministers from G7 countries, Georgia and Moldova.

The funding of emergency response will accommodate urgent needs of over 800,000 rural residents of Ukraine in 2024, it said.

The discussion with the agrarian ministers aimed to analyze the current challenges and instant and short-term needs of the food and agriculture sector before 2030, with due account of the EU admission requirements for Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine and the emphasis on further Ukraine's role as a key provider of global food security.

FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero presented the FAO rapid response plan for Ukraine in 2024 and the FAO development strategy for Ukraine in 2024-2027. The documents said that FAO would promote higher competitiveness of the Ukrainian food and agricultural sector, popularization of integrated landscape management for sustainable agricultural production, and harmonization of the Ukrainian agricultural sector with EU standards.

The FAO reported supporting over 185,000 rural families with vegetable seeds, animal feed, poultry, vouchers and money since February 2022. Equipment for temporary grain storage, grain seeds, and generators have been provided to 10,000 farmer families.

Additionally, FAO, assisted by partners, moved the Ukrainian Plant Genetic Bank to the west of the country, opened laboratories to support grain exports at border sites, and developed a system of grants to help small producers in western Ukraine develop value chains.