U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack declared the USDA and The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine will enter a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen the collaboration among the U.S. and Ukrainian agriculture and food sectors. The strategic partnership names addressing food security as a main goal.
“Since February, the world has witnessed Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine and the disruption it is causing to agricultural production, trade, and most importantly, food security,” said Secretary Vilsack during a meeting with UN ambassadors and officials at the U.S. Mission to the UN. “Russia’s actions are posing major threats not only to the people of Ukraine but to countries in Africa and the Middle East that rely on the grains and other staples produced in Ukraine. Russia is using food as a weapon and a tool of war to threaten the livelihoods of those around the world, and that is something the agriculture community cannot and will not stand for.”
Global wheat production is 4.5 million tons lower than the 774.8 million recorded in 2021/22. Production in Ukraine is predicted to fall 11.5 million to 21.5 million tons because of the war, according to the USDA’s May World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE).
“Ukraine needs the world’s support, and this week I met with Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Solskyi to express USDA’s commitment to helping rebuild and strengthen Ukraine’s agriculture sector. This MOU will amplify the strategic partnership between our two nations and leverage our collective strength to enhance productivity, address supply chain issues, and identify food security challenges. This is an important step forward and when implemented will allow us to better fight global food insecurity together.”
The MOU will begin a three-year partnership motivated by the need to tackle economic disruptions in the U.S. and globally due to the Russian attack on Ukraine. The U.S. and Ukraine will agree to the steady exchange of knowledge and expertise in relation to “crop production, emerging technologies, climate-smart practices, food security and supply chain issues to boost productivity and enhance both agricultural sectors,” explained a news release from the USDA.
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) will mobilize its resources to offer Ukraine technical support for “animal health, biosecurity, and sanitary and phytosanitary controls,” said the release. Ukraine will also have access to the Borlaug Fellowship Program and the Cochran Fellowship Program will be re-established, all to enhance collaboration between the two countries as Ukraine rebuilds its agricultural sector.
Read More About Updates on Ukraine:
War in Ukraine Causes Seed Potato Sales Drop
Food Prices Projected to Rise with Ukraine’s Invasion
UFS Makes Initial Assessment of Impacts on the Activity of Seed Companies in Ukraine
