Ukrainian Agri & Food Innovation Forum ’16 took place in Kiev

Ukrainian Agri & Food Innovation Forum ’16 took place under the patronage of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine on 8 June 2016. The Forum was organized as a part of the XXVIII International Agricultural Exhibition AGRO-2016 at the National Complex Expocenter of Ukraine. The organizer of the Exhibition is the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine; the organizer of the Forum is A7 CONFERENCES. Official Partners of the Forum included International Law Firm Dentons, ArtBudService Construction Company, Kyivstar and Orange Park Residential Complex.

The Forum was attended by Vladyslava Rutytska, Deputy Minister on European Integration, Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Francis Malige, Managing Director for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus for the EBRD, Olena Voloshina, Head of IFC Representative Office in Ukraine, Rufat Alimardanov, IFC’s Regional Manager for Ukraine and Belarus, Thomas Frellesen, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine,  Sevki Acuner, EBRD Country Director for Ukraine, Leonid Kozachenko, President of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, Maryna Mikheeva, CEO of Globino, Andrew Zablotsky, Head of Agriculture Sector, BRDO,  Adam Mycyk, Partner of Dentons, Yuriy Pryima, Director of Corporate Business Development Department, Kyivstar, Yarema Kovaliv, Head, State Agency of Fisheries of Ukraine.

The Forum brought together over 350 participants from 17 countries, in particular CEOs of EBRD, IFC, AgroGeneration, Case IH, FAO, Svarog West Group, KUHN, DuPont Pioneer, FAO, Platinum Arabia, Horizon Capital, Bayer, McKinsey & Co, Vimal, Raiffeisen Bank Aval, Avantgarde Bank, Platinum Bank.

The agricultural sector traditionally remains the most attractive investment pattern due to preserving export potential, fertile land and relatively cheap labor force. Both Ukrainian crop farming and livestock breeding are of investment interest. However, the prospects of the national agro-industry in the global market are not limited to wheat or sunflower oil. Ukraine has, in recent times, explored new niches of food commodities. Our producers have not only discovered the EU market, but are entering other major world food markets in China and South Asia. Therefore, there are good grounds for believing that this year both local and international strategic and financial investors will be keeping a close eye on Ukraine.

Vladyslava Rutytska, Deputy Minister on European Integration, Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, emphasized that the year 2015 was marked by a notable export growth in Ukrainian agricultural products to China. "We have managed to clear the UAH 1.3 billion barrier to agricultural exports. Ukrainian milk sellers were also afforded the opportunity to export their products to China. However, the issue of developing transportation routes remains pressing. In addition to transit potential, a New Silk Road as a strategy of cooperation with China, provides the opportunity for setting up joint enterprises or industrial parks to attract Chinese investments to Ukraine. In fact, our Chinese partners are interested in investing into joint agricultural projects. Today the new Silk Road means mutually beneficial routes and economic ties, an enabling economic area based on mutually fruitful cooperation."

According to the Forum participants, the agricultural sector will become a driving force provided that all areas are being properly developed, including scaled-up agricultural production and processing, and implementation of innovations. The production efficiency will depend on the land market and taxation reforms, oil prices and alternative energy growth, while domestic market growth factors, changes of consumption standards within the country and foreign markets, operation of the state system of export incentives are crucial for the processing system development, said the key players of agricultural market.

Francis Malige, Managing Director for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus for the EBRD, pointed out: "Over the past 10 years, EBRD has invested EUR 1.7 billion in agribusiness of Ukraine. This is the largest EBRD investment into domestic agricultural sector. We want to make sure that an enabling environment has been created for Ukrainian agricultural products to access new markets not just within the EU, but also in Asia. We can invest in production, processing and logistics. We are confident in successful future development of Ukraine’s the agricultural sector of Ukraine.”

Rufat Alimardanov, IFC Regional Manager for Ukraine and Belarus emphasized: Innovations are the preconditions for a long-term development of the agribusiness. IFC has been investing in innovations and modernization. Competition for the world investments will keep on increasing within the next decade, and Ukraine is the country capable of winning the race. It is agribusiness modernization and innovations that can increase added value of the products, and we are willing to support Ukraine by providing direct financing and consultancy services."

Eliav Belotserkovsky, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Israel to Ukraine pointed out: "The key to success of the Israeli agriculture involves interaction of scientists and farmers. This is one of the most knowledge-intensive sectors of economy in our country. Our government supports innovations: around 50% of all new technologies are supported at the national level. Israel has limited water resources. Hence, any shoot gets just enough water, and the entire process is computer- controlled. Therefore, we are here to share our experience with Ukraine."  

In addition, the Forum participants stressed out that potential investors would bring money to Ukraine as soon as the moratorium on purchase and sale of agricultural land is cancelled. Another factor to streamline access of foreign investment to the Ukrainian market is the stability of tax and currency laws and title guarantees. Investors are therefore waiting for currency restrictions to be removed. They have to be confident that they operate in Ukraine comfortably, safely and profitably.

The Forum was held under the patronage of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine. The Organizer of the Forum is A7 CONFERENCES, Exclusive Legal Partner is International Law Firm Dentons, Telecommunication Partner is Kyivstar, Strategic Partner is ArtBudServiсe Construction Company, Exhibition Partner is Orange Park Residential Complex. The General Information Partner is Interfax-Ukraine, Business TV Partner is Pershyy Dilovyy, General Radio Partner is Holos Stolytsi, General Media Partner is LigaBiznesInform, Exclusive Business Media Partner is Business Newspaper, Exclusive Agrarian Media Partner is Agronews, along with other media partners: Persha Shpalta, Business TV channel, Agrarnyy Tuzhden, AgroExpert, AgroPerspektyva, AgroPortal, AgroReforms UA, Companion, Kyiv Post, LANDLORD, Dilova Stolytsya, Novoe Vremya, Livyi Bereh, Promyslovist v Fokusi, The Ukrainian Times, Center for Transport Strategies, Business Views, ABCnews, Infoindustriya, InVenture, Budivelnyy Zhurnal, Derzhzovnishinform, UkrAgroConsalt, HUBs, Kapbudivnytstvo. With the support of:  MBA International, ACC, EBA, CUCC, KMBS, Year of Europe in Ukraine 2020, UBC, UVCA, International Institute of Business, Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, Association of Industrial Automation Enterprises of Ukraine, Ukrainian Association of Village and Town Councils, Union of Beekeepers of Ukraine, Agrarian Commodity Exchange.

More information is available on the Forum’s website at http://a7conf.com/agri