Tbilisi is preparing to host the international conference AgriFuture Georgia 2026, which will bring together representatives of the agribusiness sector, technology companies, investors, producers, and experts to discuss new opportunities for agricultural development, the implementation of innovations, and the attraction of investment.
The event will serve as a platform for direct dialogue between agricultural producers, suppliers of modern technologies, financial institutions, and companies interested in developing agricultural projects in Georgia and the region.
One of the central themes of AgriFuture Georgia 2026 will be the transformation of agriculture driven by modern technologies. Participants will discuss the automation of production processes, the digitalization of agribusiness, and the application of innovative solutions in crop production, horticulture, and other areas of agricultural production.
Special attention will be given to investments in agriculture and the search for new financing models for agricultural projects. Representatives from the business and investment communities will have the opportunity to discuss promising investment areas, opportunities for scaling up existing operations, and launching new projects.
Another key focus of the conference will be the development of exports. For Georgian and regional producers, entering new markets remains one of the key drivers of further growth; therefore, participants will examine the requirements of international buyers, changes in demand patterns, and opportunities to enhance the competitiveness of agricultural products.
The organizers expect the conference to serve not only as a forum for discussion but also as a venue for establishing new business contacts. As part of AgriFuture Georgia 2026, agribusiness representatives will be able to interact directly with potential partners, technology providers, investors, and experts.
The practical application of technologies will play a special role in the program. Participants will be presented with solutions that enable agricultural enterprises to increase productivity, use land, water, and energy resources more efficiently, reduce production costs, and improve product quality.
The holding of AgriFuture Georgia 2026 reflects the growing interest of the business community in the modernization of Georgia’s agricultural sector. The country has favorable conditions for producing fruits, vegetables, nuts, grapes, and other agricultural products; however, the sector’s further development increasingly depends on technological modernization, access to financing, and producers’ ability to operate in international markets.
The conference is aimed at owners and managers of agricultural enterprises, farmers, producers and exporters of agricultural products, investors, representatives of the banking sector, suppliers of equipment and technology, trading companies, international organizations, and industry experts.
AgriFuture Georgia 2026 is set to become a platform where representatives from various segments of the agricultural sector can discuss specific projects and form new partnerships to develop agribusiness in Georgia and the region.
Open4Business – Information Partner of the AgriFuture Georgia 2026 International Conference
The cost of grapes in Ukraine in 2026 remained roughly at the same level as last season, despite a significant increase in the cost of fertilizers, plant protection products, fuel, and logistics, which is leading to a decline in the profitability of grape-growing operations.
Tetyana Shmaglyuchenko, head of the company “VIN’S,” discussed this in an interview with the agricultural publication SEEDS.
According to her, prices for most grape varieties have essentially remained at last year’s levels. Only a few large rosé varieties have become slightly more expensive. At the same time, production costs have increased significantly.
Producers cite rising costs of mineral fertilizers, vine protection products, and fuel as the main factors. Logistics have added to the burden, especially for farms in Bessarabia, where transportation costs have risen due to infrastructure damage and restrictions on traditional routes.
The situation is further complicated by a decline in the harvest. According to producers’ estimates, the gross grape harvest at some farms this season could be 20–30% lower than last year. Winter frosts and a cold spring have negatively affected yields.
The war is also directly affecting vineyards in southern Ukraine. Some vineyards have sustained damage as a result of hostilities, falling drone debris, and other war-related factors.
The combination of virtually unchanged selling prices, rising production costs, and reduced harvests is forcing producers to seek additional sources of income.
One such avenue is the further processing of grapes. Farms are investing in the production of fruit leather, raisins, and other products with higher added value, and are using infrared dryers and vacuum equipment to process fruit puree.
Another trend is cooperation with producers of other fruits. This allows for the production of combined products using local peaches, plums, and other raw materials.
Producers are also investing in energy self-sufficiency. In particular, solar power plants are used to power wells and irrigation systems, which helps to partially reduce dependence on external energy supplies.
At the same time, some farms are considering a shift from selling fresh grapes to winemaking. With grant support from the FAO, technical grape varieties are being planted that can later be used for wine production.
Thus, for Ukrainian viticulture in 2026, the key challenge will be not so much a lack of demand for products as the gap between the selling price and the cost of production. Under these conditions, processing allows farms to derive greater added value from their own raw materials while simultaneously maintaining production capacity and preserving employment for workers after the harvest season ends.
Viticulture remains one of the most labor-intensive sectors of horticulture in Ukraine. Most commercial grape production is concentrated in the southern regions of the country and in Zakarpattia, and a significant portion of the industry has been directly affected by the full-scale war.
Source: SEEDS.
Around $680 billion in financing annually is needed to transform global agrifood systems by 2030, but the effectiveness of international programs will depend not only on the amount of funding, but also on farmers’ and agribusinesses’ access to finance, markets and economic incentives.
According to SEEDS, financing issues were discussed in Rome during the FAO Global Conference “Actions in One Health in Agrifood Systems,” which took place on September 21–23 and was dedicated to implementing the One Health approach in agrifood systems.
According to FAO estimates, the annual financing requirement for the transformation of agrifood systems in low- and middle-income countries amounts to around $680 billion. Of this amount, approximately $425–426 billion should go directly to investments, with another approximately $255 billion allocated to social protection systems.
International expert on sustainable agriculture and agrifood systems and founder of Sapienza.media Kateryna Zvierieva, who participated in the conference, stressed that the volume of international financing alone does not guarantee results if resources do not reach direct producers.
“We can develop effective environmental and veterinary solutions, but they will not become widespread practice if the farmer does not have access to financing, sales markets and economic incentives for their implementation,” she said in a comment to SEEDS.
Rwanda became one example of effective fundraising. About $25 million in financing from the Pandemic Fund was accompanied by the mobilization of approximately another $160 million in additional resources and related investments. The program is aimed at strengthening epidemiological surveillance, early warning systems and coordination between human and animal health services. FAO, WHO and UNICEF are involved in its implementation.
During the conference, programs in Zimbabwe and Afghanistan were also discussed, where the One Health approach is used to combine veterinary safety, healthcare, food security and support for agricultural production. Participants stressed that animal diseases, climate risks and water-related problems often extend beyond individual states and require regional investment programs.
The reduction of international assistance remains a separate problem. Representatives of the European Commission drew attention to the need to involve the World Bank, IFC, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and private capital more broadly in financing, since grant resources are insufficient for a large-scale transformation of the agricultural sector.
For Ukraine, these approaches are particularly important due to the need to simultaneously restore agricultural production, infrastructure, the veterinary system and water resources, as well as adapt the sector to EU standards.
According to Zvierieva, international programs should be accessible not only to large institutions, but also directly to agricultural enterprises, cooperatives and small producers. Farmers, in her opinion, should be involved in the development of such programs already at the planning stage, since it is they who can assess the real cost of introducing new technologies and the economic risks for farms.
FAO also emphasizes that without the involvement of the private sector, financial institutions and direct producers, it will be impossible to overcome the global financing gap in agrifood systems.
Source: SEEDS — “$680 billion for the transformation of agrifood systems”
Ivan Tchaikovsky, a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament and founder of the company “Agroprodservice,” was named the winner of the “Agribusiness Leader of the Year” category as part of the 30th anniversary nationwide “Person of the Year 2025” program.
Chaikovsky was born on May 29, 1972, in the village of Nastasov in the Ternopil region. He began his entrepreneurial career after serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 1998, he became head of the “Kolos” owners’ association in Nastasov, and in 1999, he founded the leasing company “Agroprodservice,” which subsequently became one of the leading agricultural producers in western Ukraine.
The company is involved in crop production, livestock farming, agricultural processing, and energy projects. According to information provided by the organizers of the “Person of the Year” program, “Agroprodservice” currently processes more than 63% of its own crop production, ranks among Ukraine’s leading enterprises in dairy and swine farming, and is also developing projects in the clean energy sector.
Tourism has become a separate area of diversification. The company is developing “Agroland,” a family-oriented ethno-park that combines agritourism with the promotion of Ukrainian crafts, traditions, and the rural way of life.
In 2009, Tchaikovsky earned a master’s degree in economics and investment management from Ternopil National Economic University, now known as the Western Ukrainian National University. In 2015, he graduated from the Lviv Regional Institute of Public Administration of the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine with a degree in “Public Administration.”
From 2002 to 2015, he was elected three times as a deputy to the Ternopil District Council. In 2018, he stepped down from the day-to-day management of “Agroprodservice” to focus on political and civic activities.
In 2019, Tchaikovsky was elected a People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the IX convocation as an independent candidate in electoral district No. 165 in the Ternopil region. He serves as secretary of the parliamentary Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy and is a member of the “For the Future” parliamentary group.
As part of his parliamentary work, Tchaikovsky participates in drafting legislation on agricultural and land policy, as well as in interparliamentary and European integration initiatives.
In addition to his business and political activities, he is involved in charitable projects. In 2012, Tchaikovsky founded the “Pokrova” Charitable Foundation, which implemented social, educational, cultural, sports, and environmental programs. After the outbreak of full-scale war, a significant portion of the foundation’s aid was redirected to support the Ukrainian military, particularly units of the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov.”
Ivan Tchaikovsky has been awarded the “For Labor and Valor” Medal, the Order “For Merit” (3rd Class), and a number of professional and industry awards.
“Agroprodservice” was founded in 1999 in the Ternopil region. The company operates in the fields of crop production, livestock farming, seed production, and agricultural processing, and is developing energy and tourism sectors.
Open4Business is an information partner of the nationwide “Person of the Year 2025” program.
AGRIBUSINESS, agricultural sector, BUSINESS, Tchaikovsky, UKRAINE
State-owned PrivatBank and Limagrain, one of the world’s largest seed companies, have launched two partnership financing programs for agricultural producers ahead of the fall planting season, the bank’s press service reported.
“We are expanding financing options and offering farmers new tools that are more effective and convenient, given the specific nature of agricultural production,” the press service quoted Mykhailo Kovalov, head of PrivatBank’s Department of Documentary Operations and Trade Finance, as saying.
According to the announcement, farmers can take advantage of a working capital financing program to purchase seeds and a promissory note program, which allows for flexible payment planning and optimizes the financial burden on the farm.
The bank noted that both programs offer preferential financing terms as well as a simplified application process.
For more details on the loan terms, please contact Limagrain Ukraine managers or visit your nearest PrivatBank branch.
Limagrain—a seed company founded by farmers in France over 50 years ago—ranks fourth in the global seed industry. The company has been operating in Ukraine since 2008. The main crops it breeds include corn, sunflower, rapeseed, spring and winter wheat, and spring and winter barley (for feed and brewing). The company’s global network of branches spans 56 countries. Each year, the company invests approximately 14% of its revenue in research.
PrivatBank is Ukraine’s largest bank. According to the National Bank, the financial institution’s total assets as of June 1, 2026, amounted to 965.11 billion UAH (22.7% of the total).
The state-owned bank noted that, according to regular Brand Health Tracking surveys for the first quarter of 2026, the level of trust in it is higher than that of other financial institutions on the market and stands at 49%. The bank attributes this to the availability of accessible, personalized, and digitized products for its customers.
Raiffeisen Bank has granted the “Pan Kurchak” group a 350 million hryvnia loan to rebuild a factory destroyed by a fire in 2024; 50% of the loan risk is covered by a guarantee from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) under the Extended Guarantee of the RSF Ukraine Investment Facility.
According to a correspondent for the “Interfax-Ukraine” news agency, the relevant documents were signed on the sidelines of the URC 2026 Conference on Ukraine’s Recovery, which took place in Gdańsk on June 25–26.
According to the report, the loan will be used to reconstruct the plant and install modern, energy-efficient equipment. The project is expected to strengthen the company’s position in the domestic market and enhance its operational resilience.
This is the first project to benefit from the new RSF Extended Guarantee.
As previously reported, the “Pan Kurchak” agro-industrial group was founded in 2001. It is engaged in crop cultivation, the production and sale of compound feed, broiler and pig breeding, and meat processing.
The agribusiness group includes “Western Agrarian Company” (which cultivates 16.7 thousand hectares), “Agrotechnika” LLC (which operates two compound feed mills, an oilseed processing plant, and four grain elevators), “Agidel” LLC (which maintains a parent flock of poultry with a production capacity of 32 million eggs and a broiler complex for 10,000 birds), VMP LLC (processes meat, produces sausage products and semi-finished meat products), Gubin Poultry Complex LLC (operates six farms with an annual capacity of 14 million head of poultry). All of the group’s production facilities are located in the Volyn region.
“Pan Kurchak” also operates a chain of branded stores called “M’yasna Tochka” and “Smarty” (Ukrainian Retail Networks LLC).
According to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs, the group is owned by Serhiy and Ivanna Martyniak.
