On Monday in Brussels, Koval will try to convince his EU counterparts that a future Ukrainian membership of the European Union does not have to be a threat, but that agriculture offers opportunities to pursue a new direction.
The Ukrainian livestock sector will first have to be rebuilt before expansion of exports can be discussed. According to Koval, there were about 28 million cows in Ukraine in 1991, compared to just over 2 million now.
If the livestock restructuring succeeds, Ukraine could become an "agriculture and dairy eldorado," the minister said. Earlier, Koval spoke in a radio interview about a 'good export dynamic.' Despite the Russian attack, Ukraine's agricultural exports would have returned to pre-war levels, he said.
The priority now is to further diversify supply channels, transport, and logistics. Koval sees additional sales potential especially in Africa and Southeast Asia. Countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh have shown interest, particularly in meat and dairy products.
However, Koval also made clear that the country is still in a very dramatic situation as a result of the Russian invasion. He estimated the damage in the agricultural sector alone at approximately 75 billion euros. Of this, 12 billion euros is so-called indirect damage, for example caused by higher transport costs due to the blockade of the Black Sea.
He also expressed concern about what he called ‘disinformation’ regarding Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU. 'The enemy distorts reality and spreads myths,' Koval said. He denied that the European market would be "flooded" with poultry meat and sugar from Ukraine. For instance, the quota for Ukrainian sugar exports to the EU for next year will only be 109,000 tons, while the EU imports a total of 3 million tons of sugar annually.