For the Dutch agricultural industry, there are opportunities and possibilities in Ukraine, said the Ukrainian ambassador to the Netherlands, Vsevolod Chentsov, during a visit to the Dutch Land and Horticulture Organization (ZLTO) in ’s-Hertogenbosch.
Improving the training level of agricultural specialists, exchanging practical experiences, and joint projects between Ukraine and the Netherlands were the main topics of the Ukrainian ambassador’s working visit, according to the correspondent of the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform in The Hague.
“Our task is to maximally assist Ukrainian and Dutch farmers in establishing cooperation, and to attract scientific and educational potential for the needs of agriculture and the food industry,” Chentsov said.
ZLTO chairman Wim Bens in turn said that Ukraine has great opportunities for the development of agriculture. ‘When we look at Ukraine, we see a large country with incredible opportunities. But there is also something to work on. When we talk about investing in countries like Ukraine, we always have to take infrastructure into account. Our farmers can go to a country like Ukraine, but they need infrastructure: roads, a network of laboratories, qualified specialists on site,’ Bens told Ukrinform.
During a discussion meeting, the positive impact that land reform could have on the agricultural sector in Ukraine was emphasized. At the same time, it is very important for Dutch farmers to be able to acquire land ownership there.
Land ownership is very important for Dutch agricultural businesses and is also a condition for financing infrastructure projects by Dutch financial institutions and for providing loans to agricultural companies. That farmers own the land is highly uncommon in Ukraine and elsewhere in Eastern Europe. In most cases, agricultural production still comes from collective forms of operation or privatized former state farms.
“I learned a lot about Ukraine when I was at school and later at university, especially about opportunities for agriculture. We spoke with the Ukrainian ambassador and with a Dutch farmer who worked in Ukraine. So I am certain that we can interest Ukraine in Dutch agriculture and vice versa, Dutch farmers in Ukraine,” ZLTO board member Hendrik Hoeksema told Ukrinform.