Ukraine has the potential to significantly increase its agricultural export volumes if substantial investments are made in the sector. This was stated by the president of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, Leonid Kozachenko. According to him, the country is capable of raising its annual agricultural product exports from the current $24.2 billion to over $100 billion by shifting from raw material sales to the production of value-added products.
This is reported by Business • Media
Analysis of the Current State and Development Prospects
Leonid Kozachenko emphasized that although Ukraine possesses nearly 30% of the world’s black soil, its exports still lag behind those of some countries with smaller agricultural land areas. For example, the Netherlands, with a significantly smaller territory, exports food and related products worth about $108 billion annually. This indicates a significant untapped potential in Ukraine’s agricultural sector.
Investments as the Key to Agroexport Growth
The total losses in the capitalization of Ukraine’s agricultural sector due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation have already exceeded $120 billion, with direct losses estimated at $11.5 billion. Despite these losses, the expert is convinced that with the maximum effective use of the genetic potential of crop and livestock production, the country can annually produce up to 150 million tons of grains and oilseeds, 25 million tons of milk, and up to 10 million tons of meat.
“Ukraine can increase its annual agroexport from $24.2 billion to over $100 billion by transitioning from raw material exports to boosting the production of value-added products.”
To achieve such ambitious goals over the next decade, it is necessary to attract about $85 billion in investments. In particular, $37 billion should be directed towards the development of the food, pharmaceutical, and perfume industries, $18 billion for livestock, $8 billion for crop production, $5.5 billion for bioenergy, and another $10 billion for supporting logistics, horticulture, and greenhouse farming.