Poland to Help Enhance EU-Ukraine Agriculture Trade

Kyiv, December 7, 2011. Today the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland Marek Sawicki and the Minister of Agriculture of Ukraine Mykola Prysyazhnyuk signed a memorandum of cooperation in the agricultural sector. It provides for the deepening of collaboration between the two countries on the adoption of the EU standards in Ukrainian agriculture.

“As of now a Polish-Ukrainian workgroup is up to harmonize the Ukrainian agriculture standards with those of the EU,” said Mykola Prysyazhnyuk during his official visit to Poland. The memorandum will reinforce the work on the harmonization, he emphasized.

The adoption of European principles in the Ukrainian agricultural legislation will contribute to strengthening of trade between Ukraine and the EU countries, including Poland, as coherence of legal principles will simplify the procedure. Minister Prysyazhnyuk also noted that the agricultural trade turnover between Poland and Ukraine was leveling up steadily. The value of the Ukrainian export and import to Poland over the first eight months of 2011 had already exceeded the respective figures of 2010, said the Ukrainian minister.

Currently, Ukraine claims its position as one of the leading agricultural countries in the world. Ukraine possesses 30 percent of the world’s black soil – the most favorable soil for agriculture. This allows for a certain commercial advantage. For example, this year the country became world’s largest sunflower oil exporter and third largest corn supplier.

Experts estimate that Ukraine’s annual grain production will soon equal 33-35 million tons. This, together with the fact that the domestic consumption is set at the mark of 25-26 million tons, allows for a substantial amount of excessive product to be exported. Therefore, this summer Ukraine initiated the creation of the world’s grain reserve under the auspices of the United Nations. Ukraine planned to take on the responsibility to form the reserve of 10 to 12 million tons of grain, preserve it and make grain interventions on the market following the respective decisions by the UN. The initiative was not supported by the UN though.