On January 22, an interdepartmental meeting with agricultural producers from the Kyiv region took place in Kyiv, dedicated to the development of agricultural processing and the transition of the agricultural sector from a raw material model to the production of high value-added products. Within the framework of the event, participants were presented with a catalog of Ukrainian manufacturers of equipment for agricultural processing, and state support programs and legislative initiatives for the agricultural sector were also discussed. The meeting was the first regional platform within a series of events to popularize the capabilities of domestic mechanical engineering for agricultural business, implemented as part of the "Made in Ukraine" policy for the development of Ukrainian manufacturers.
The meeting was attended by representatives of central and regional authorities, parliament, and the business community. In particular, Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, Dmytro Kysylevskyi, deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Economic Development, Oleksandr Haidu, head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy, Taras Vysotskyi, deputy minister of economy, environment, and agriculture of Ukraine, Ruslan Illichov, general director of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, as well as heads of agricultural enterprises and food producers of the Kyiv region, joined the discussion.
The central topic was the presentation of the catalog of Ukrainian equipment for agricultural processing. The document contains information about 187 units of products from 17 Ukrainian manufacturers and covers solutions for storing and processing grain crops, vegetables and fruits, milk, as well as equipment for packaging and transporting finished products. The catalog was created as a practical tool for agricultural producers who are considering investments in processing and are looking for local technological solutions.
It was created by the Federation of Employers of Ukraine together with the office of People's Deputy Dmytro Kysylevskyi, coordinator of the "Made in Ukraine" policy, and the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture.
A local component base allows for significant savings on service maintenance, and the speed and flexibility of Ukrainian manufacturers make it possible to adapt technical solutions to specific customer needs much faster than global companies. The life cycle of Ukrainian equipment is longer due to the availability of spare parts and specialists, and installation and commissioning can be provided in Ukraine even in wartime conditions. A separate important argument is state programs for compensating part of the cost of domestic equipment, which also apply to processing equipment. Finally, every hryvnia invested in Ukrainian mechanical engineering returns to the economy through taxes, jobs, and support for the Defense Forces
The event participants emphasized that the development of agricultural processing is a key factor in increasing the stability of the economy and reducing dependence on raw material exports. The transition to a processing model allows for the creation of greater added value within the country, the creation of jobs, and an increase in tax revenues at the regional level.
Ultimately, stimulating our own agricultural processing is a matter of food security for Ukraine. In this area, our state should be as little dependent as possible on the policies of other countries. The current war has already shown us that even political allies cease to be friendly when it comes to economic interests
During the event, the practical experience of large businesses in working with Ukrainian suppliers was also presented. Dmytro Ptashnyk, Deputy CEO of MHP for Procurement, spoke about the company's approaches to developing partnerships with domestic manufacturers and import substitution in supply chains.
According to him, MHP systematically works with Ukrainian suppliers, providing them with long-term contracts and predictable loading of production facilities. Today, about 83% of the company's purchases come from Ukrainian manufacturers, which allows money to remain in the national economy, supports jobs in the regions, and stimulates production modernization. The company also involves partners in joint innovative projects and gradually replaces products that were previously imported from abroad.
Significant attention during the meeting was paid to a lively dialogue with farmers. Heads of agricultural enterprises in the Kyiv region had the opportunity to directly voice relevant issues and practical challenges they face when implementing processing capacities, as well as discuss prospects for cooperation with Ukrainian equipment manufacturers.
The interdepartmental meeting in Kyiv launched a regional series of presentations of the catalog of Ukrainian equipment for agricultural processing. The Federation of Employers of Ukraine notes that subsequent events will be held in other regions to bring information about the capabilities of domestic mechanical engineering as close as possible to agricultural producers on the ground. The ultimate goal of the initiative is to accelerate the transition of the agricultural sector to a processing model and strengthen the economy of the regions through the development of Ukrainian production.