As part of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome, Ukraine and Italy have agreed to initiate projects to support farmers in the Odessa region, Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Vitalii Koval, announced on Facebook.
"At the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome, we took another important step toward developing Ukrainian rural areas. Today, we signed two agreements that will launch concrete projects to support farmers in Odessa," Koval wrote.
The first agreement relates to the Pro.UKR project, which will help small and medium-sized agricultural producers in Odessa create cooperatives, acquire modern equipment and machinery, and receive training and consulting support. The initiative will be financed by the Italian government.
Koval emphasized that developing cooperatives is a strategic priority for Ukraine. He noted that cooperatives account for over 55% of the agricultural sector in Italy, while Ukraine currently has more than 2,300 agricultural cooperatives that need a fresh boost.
The second agreement concerns irrigation modernization — specifically, a €6 million project to reconstruct the Tatarbunary and Kiliia irrigation systems.
"The goal is to use water resources more efficiently, increase crop yields, and help the agricultural sector adapt to climate change. The Ministry of Agrarian Policy will be the project’s implementing agency. This is an important step toward systemic irrigation modernization in the region," Koval said.
The minister thanked Italy for its consistent support and stressed that these are concrete actions that support the development of Ukrainian farming, food security, and the sustainable future of rural communities.
