The Ministry of Economy continues its systematic work on the restoration and development of hydraulic land reclamation as one of the key areas for strengthening the agricultural sector. With support from the Agricultural and Rural Development Program (AGRO), funded by the U.S. government in Ukraine, a new project has launched to enhance the institutional and technical capacity of water user organizations and promote the adoption of modern approaches to managing reclamation infrastructure.
The project is being implemented by the Association of Water User Organizations and aims to establish long-term Ukraine–U.S. partnerships in the field of hydraulic land reclamation.
Within the project, agricultural producers will receive comprehensive consulting support on the creation and operation of water user organizations, management of engineering infrastructure, and ensuring financial sustainability. A separate component is a professional training program for irrigation managers aimed at improving the efficiency of reclamation system operations and long-term development planning.
Additionally, experts from the Association will conduct technical audits of the reclamation networks of 25 agricultural producers and 5 water user organizations, based on which individual solutions for infrastructure modernization will be developed. An important part of the project is establishing cooperation with U.S. manufacturers of irrigation equipment and providers of management and service solutions, giving Ukrainian farmers access to modern global practices.
"Irrigation water user organizations are a key element in restoring and modernizing irrigation in Ukraine. The launch of this project allows us to combine state policy, professional expertise, and international partner support to form a sustainable model for managing reclamation infrastructure and expanding farmers' access to modern technologies. It will also accelerate the restoration of Ukraine’s reclamation infrastructure, as experts estimate that about 80% of it is worn out," emphasized Iryna Ovcharenko, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine.
The development of hydraulic land reclamation has strategic importance for Ukraine’s agro-industrial complex. Since the start of the full-scale war, irrigated areas have decreased from 525,000 hectares in 2021 to 137,000 hectares in 2024. At the same time, the potential for restoring irrigation in Ukraine is at least 1 million hectares.
