By KYIV. Dec 16 (Interfax-Ukraine) – France is tentatively ready to supply Ukraine with generators and seeds of plants, as well as assist in financing farmers during the spring sowing season.
As reported on the website of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food on Friday, following the results of the Forum for Economic Sustainability and Reconstruction of Ukraine held in Paris, the EU countries are ready to provide Ukraine with EUR 1.5 billion in assistance, part of which will be provided to the country’s agribusiness.
"Firstly, this is the provision of generators. Secondly, seed material, and thirdly, working capital for the spring sowing season. It was previously agreed that the French Republic would help in all these areas. Soon technical details and timeline of this assistance will be discussed," said Denis Bashlyk, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalization, who participated in the forum and was quoted by the ministry.
At the same time, representatives of Ukraine held a number of meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture of France and French business, during which they discussed urgent problems of the agricultural sector of Ukraine.
Bashlyk also said that Ukraine already has experience in distributing international support among farmers in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In particular, it is about the distribution of temporary storage facilities for grain through the Ukrainian public agrarian register.
"I think that during the distribution of generators and seed material we will follow the same path. France has already provided 100 generators, but it should be understood that strategic facilities will be given priority first. For our part, we conducted a survey among farmers, the total request for generators is more than 1,000 pieces, and we will try to take all measures to provide them with the necessary assistance," the deputy minister said.
