The head of FAO’s regional programs in Europe and Central Asia, Raimund Jelle, visited Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of the escalation of the war to express the readiness of FAO to continue providing emergency agricultural support to the most vulnerable sections of the population and to ensure the sustainability of local and global supply of agricultural products. This is reported by Ministry of Agricultural Policy.
Raimund Jelle noted that since February 24, FAO has increased its capacity and, in addition to the emergency response program, is resuming projects that were started before the war. He also emphasized the importance of timely resolution of problems related to the support of critically important food production and elimination of disruptions in the functioning of agri-food supply chains.
“We continue to support Ukraine and closely cooperate with the government of Ukraine, in particular, with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, local administrations to ensure the stability and development of agriculture in this difficult time for the country,” said Raimund Yele. – FAO’s activities in Ukraine are focused on providing emergency assistance to agricultural households, eliminating storage deficits, supporting the development of value chains, adapting to climate change and combating soil degradation.”
Since the outbreak of war, FAO has developed and updated its Quick Response Plan and is calling for $115.4 million to provide supporting nearly 1 million rural residents through agricultural assistance and food security for those most affected by the war. Within the framework of this program, FAO has already provided assistance to 80,000 people in 13 regions of Ukraine and continues to provide multipurpose cash assistance to cover the basic needs of more than 5,000 families in the most affected regions in the east and south of Ukraine.
In addition, FAO will soon provide animal feed and pilot a voucher program for the purchase of essential inputs for agricultural purposes. Support will be provided to displaced persons and host families in rural areas, as well as the most vulnerable sections of the population.
Also, FAO cooperates with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine on the implementation of the Strategy for supporting grain storage to solve the current shortage of grain storage facilities in Ukraine with the aim of providing farmers with the necessary equipment for grain storage during 2022-2023. This will strengthen food security and protect livelihoods at the household and national levels in Ukraine, as well as provide countries dependent on grain imports with access to sufficient grain supplies at an affordable price.
“Together with the Ministry of Agricultural Policy, FAO is implementing the Grain Storage Strategy, according to which FAO plans to ensure the storage of 4.07 million tons of grain, which is 25% of the national need. We have already completed the tender and are identifying potential suppliers for the purchase of grain storage sleeves with auxiliary equipment, as well as modular grain warehouses, added Pierre Vauthier, head of the FAO office in Ukraine. – One of the important requirements for obtaining equipment for temporary storage will be registration in the State Agrarian Register.”
Thanks to close cooperation with the Government of Ukraine and our partners, as well as generous contributions from donors, FAO will continue to provide assistance to save lives and livelihoods across the country.