Agribusiness in Ukraine

Adam Smith Conferences is grateful to all speakers, sponsors and delegates who took part in the 3rd annual forum "Agribusiness in Ukraine 2011"!

For the third year running more than 150 representatives of the agrarian industry's business elite gathered at the Forum, to discuss the most relevant strategic issues for development of Ukraine's most perspective economic sector - an industry that experts predict will make up 30% of Ukraine's GDP within the next few years.

Unfortunately, despite the agrarian sector's enormous development potential and its attractiveness to investors, unfavourable government policy and regulation makes developing it problematic. The fact that authorities do not have a firm position on a host of strategic issues - such as establishment of export barriers, price regulation and removal of land moratoriums - is forcing many producers and strategic investors to re-assess their plans to work in this market.

According to the Director for Agribusiness at EBRD Gilles Mettetal, Ukraine needs to invest between $40 and 80 million if it is to realise its potential, but the government does not have such a sum of money at its disposal. The private sector is willing to invest, provided that a healthy investment climate is created, and on the proviso that the government protects the rights of producers and investors.

During the Forum, Ukraine was often compared with another agrarian state, Brazil, in which more than $20 million are invested annually and where beneficial conditions have been created to assist development of the sector and support of investors.

In addition to the general strategic themes, individual agrarian segments and their progress were also discussed. They include fruit and vegetables, sugar, grain, meat and milk, problems regarding food safety, expansion of infrastructure and logistics, and financing and insuring the agrarian sector.

Major industry players presented their views for strategic development of agrarian companies and the sector as a whole. There were presentations from:

• Leonid Kozachenko, President, Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation
• Victor Ivanchyk, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Astarta Holding
• Peter Thomson, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Ukrainian Agrarian Investments
• Grigory Kaletnyk, Chairman of the committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on agrarian policy and land matters
• Jacques Mounier, Chairman of the Management Board, Credit Agricole CIB
• Jean-Jacques Herve, Advisor to the President, Index Bank
• Richard Ferguson, Global Head of Agriculture Sector, Renaissance Capital
• Gilles Mettetal, Director for Agribusiness, EBRD 
• Valery Shamoti, General Director and Founder, Inkerman
• Elena Voloshina, Country representative in Ukraine, IFC
• Dario Marchetti, General Manager, Danone in Ukraine and Belarus
• Irina Starodubova, Partner, Horizon Capital
• Charles Vilgrain, President of the Board of Directors, AgroGeneration

And more than 30 other industry leaders!

The Forum's delegates were extremely appreciative of the pre-conference master-class on winning strategies, given by international leadership expert Pavlo Sheremeta!

We are already looking forward to March 2012, when we will pick up where we left off at the 4th annual "Agribusiness in Ukraine" Forum.

Please address your questions, or suggestions for additions to the event programme, to Iryna Zeldes at iryna@adamsmithconferences.com 

To receive additional information about sponsorship and exhibition opportunities at our events, please contact Eugene Andrus at eugene@adamsmithconferences.com