“With its latest bilateral cooperation project in Ukraine, Germany wants to set an example for reconstruction,” with these words the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), Claudia Müller, welcomed the members of the Project Steering Group (PSG) of the German-Ukrainian Technical Dialogue on Sustainable Development of the Fruit and Vegetable Sector (DUALOG) on August 1, 2023. The State Secretary, who was connected online, emphasized the security of supply of fresh food, which has become much more important in view of the Russian war of aggression. Markiyan Dmytrasevich, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, in his greeting pointed out the destroyed agricultural infrastructure that needs to be rebuilt, and followed up with his thanks to BMEL for its all-round support. 

PSG members met on the outskirts of Vinnytsia for their first meeting to present the results of the introductory phase and to discuss project planning for the next 12 months. The DUALOG project will focus on the legal and institutional framework with the operational partners to develop a regional concept for the promotion of the fruit and vegetable sector in Vinnytsia oblast (region). In addition, a regional strategy for vocational education and training will be developed, and an agricultural extension service for fruit and vegetable production will be initiated. The PSG also agreed to develop a cold storage facility as a major infrastructure project at the Illintsi Agricultural College and to introduce financial instruments in order to support agricultural enterprises.