On October 8th in Cologne, another meeting of the Project’s Supervisory Board took place.

On October 8th in Cologne, another meeting of the Project’s Supervisory Board took place, attended by representatives of the donor, the Ukrainian government, international organizations, as well as business representatives from various regions of Ukraine.

The discussion revolved around the achievements of the Project from July 2022 to September 2023 and plans for 2024. The positive impact of the Project on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in the fruit and vegetable sector, nuts, berries, and the wine industry in Ukraine was noted.

The donor’s representatives and the project management confirmed the extension of the Project’s duration until the end of 2024. Important topics of discussion included the current results, a summary of events that took place during the mentioned period, and the coordination of the work plan for 2024.

Representatives from different sectors that the Project works with, such as fruit and vegetable, nut, berry, and winemaking, were presented at the meeting for the first time.

Carolina von Schantz, a Senior Program and Strategic Communications Manager at Sida, was particularly interested in talking to representatives of Ukrainian businesses, hearing from them about the progress they observe in their companies, comparing themselves at the beginning of cooperation with the Project and the current level of their understanding of international market requirements and trends, strategies for developing export activities, and the company’s communication capabilities, etc.

Enterprise representatives emphasized the importance of a systematic approach in supporting Ukrainian exporters’ connections with foreign partners. Issues related to the recovery of agribusiness in wartime conditions, post-occupation of regions of Ukraine, and after the end of military actions were also discussed separately.

Andriy Lytvyn, Deputy Director of the Office for Entrepreneurship Development and Export, highlighted the importance of synergy between state institutions and international technical assistance projects aimed at supporting business in developing foreign economic activity, increasing competitiveness, and entering new markets. In his opinion, the results of such joint work speak for themselves.

Olena Kolomoitseva, the National Project Manager, presented the main directions of SME support until the end of 2024, which included training events on specific issues of craft fruit and vegetable production, nut processing, grape cultivation, and winemaking; for representatives of the fruit and vegetable sector – also support for enterprises in developing individual plans for entering foreign markets, assistance in improving marketing materials, participation in international exhibitions, and business missions abroad.