The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced that its Agricultural Resilience Initiative-Ukraine (AGRI-Ukraine) has secured over $510 million in private sector and donor investments for Ukraine’s agricultural sector, according to a press release from the agency.
USAID reports that the US government has contributed $350 million to the initiative created two years ago to bolster Ukraine’s agricultural production and exports while addressing global food insecurity.
“Since July of 2022, AGRI-Ukraine has helped more than 14,000 Ukrainian farmers – or 32 percent of the country’s registered farmers – receive seeds, fertilizers, crop protection, storage, and financing to produce their harvests,” the agency states.
The initiative has also played a crucial role in developing alternative export routes for Ukrainian agricultural products following Russia’s attempts to block exports from Black Sea ports.
USAID reports that these efforts “have resulted in Ukraine’s exports of 62 million metric tons of agricultural products, contributing over $17 billion to its economy.”
According to the press release, the $510 million raised from the private sector and donor investments has exceeded USAID’s initial goal threefold. The agency has expanded its partnerships to include 26 additional Ukrainian agricultural companies, US-based Gowan Seed company, and international financial institutions such as the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development.
USAID states it is now focusing on mobilizing new private and international partnerships to support Ukraine’s agricultural sector further.
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