KYIV. Oct 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) – U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) starts a new $20.6 million program aimed at supporting the Ukrainian agricultural sector and promoting the realization of the country’s potential in agriculture.
According to a press release of Ukraine’s Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry, Minister Taras Kutoviy gave the information after a meeting with USAID representatives.
“I have good news. I met new USAID Regional Mission Director to Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova Susan Fritz. Mrs. Fritz said that a new four-year USAID project to support agricultural and rural development earlier discussed by us with USAID representatives is launched,” the minister said.
The Agriculture and Rural Development Support (ARDS) will be implemented in the period from September 2016 until July 2020.
Kutoviy said that the goals and tasks of the program meet the common comprehensive strategy for developing agriculture and rural territories until 2020 and the comprehensive strategic plan of the ministry “three plus five.”
The ARDS Program will help to form better conditions for small and medium-sized farmers thanks to enhancing the institutional potential of the Ukrainian ministry in implementation of agricultural reforms, creation of transparent legal basis in land relations and the introduction of reforms to help to modernize irrigation systems.
The project would promote growth of exporting competitiveness of small and medium-sized vegetable, fruit, milk and meat producers via helping small and medium players to introduce international quality and food safety standards, export food to foreign markets and use opportunities under the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement.
The program is intended to support development of rural territories via expansion of opportunities for citizens to find jobs and get income, provision of help to concrete territorial communities in designing effect local economy development strategies and stimulating economic growth.
