The International Trade Centre (ITC) received a mandate to launch the second phase of the project “Linking Ukrainian SMEs in the Fruits and Vegetables Sector to Global and Domestic Markets and Value Chains” (2021-2024). The project is funded by the Government of Sweden.
The goal of the second phase is to enhance the impact of the results already achieved, as well as a) to expand the geographical coverage by including additional regions and b) to involve a group of wine producers and the winemaking sector.
Ukraine has untapped potential in the winemaking sector due to the growing demand for products both domestically and abroad, favorable climatic conditions, unique local grape varieties, and traditions of grape growing and winemaking. Due to the occupation of Crimea, lack of government support, and the growing role of imports, the area of vineyards has decreased from 47,000 hectares in 2013 to 29,000 hectares in 2019 (Source: Ukrstat).
In order to establish its niche, domestic viticulture and the winemaking industry must be aligned with international quality standards, as they compete with foreign wines even in the domestic market.
The development of the winemaking sector in Ukraine is gaining momentum, and the project aims to assist beneficiaries in this sector in developing a comprehensive approach to the growth of the Ukrainian winemaking industry, which will have a social and economic impact at both the national and regional levels. Additionally, within the framework of the project, study tours to Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, France, Spain, etc., a series of training sessions for winemakers, business support organizations, roundtable discussions, individual consultations, and more have been organized.
As part of the project in 2021, with the active participation of sector associations, private sector, and representatives of government agencies, a Strategic Roadmap for the Ukrainian Wine Sector was developed. This roadmap identifies existing constrains and offers strategic measures to enable the Ukrainian winemaking sector, among other things, to better integrate into domestic and international value chains.
Sector players are actively using this document for the sector benefit.
