“The Ukrainian agricultural sector needs at least a ten-year transition period after accession to the European Union in order to adapt to European production rules without losing competitiveness,” said Andrii Dykun, Chairman of the Ukrainian Agri Council, in an interview with Euractiv, one of Europe’s leading media outlets. In the interview, he spoke about the key challenges of the European integration of Ukraine’s agricultural sector and the need for a realistic approach to its adaptation to EU rules.

According to Andrii Dykun, Ukraine supports integration into the European Union, but this process must take into account the specifics of Ukrainian agriculture, the scale of production, and the conditions in which farmers are currently operating.

He also stressed that adaptation to EU requirements on the use of plant protection products alone could cost Ukraine’s agricultural sector around EUR 2.5 billion.

“We may lose this money, comply with all European standards, but at the same time have no guaranteed full access to the market and receive no support,” he said.

The UAC Chairman noted that, for a significant share of Ukrainian medium-sized farms, countries in Asia and Africa remain their main export markets. That is why integration into the EU should not only ensure compliance with European requirements, but also allow Ukrainian producers to maintain their competitive positions in global markets.

At the same time, Andrii Dykun noted that today the war remains the biggest challenge for Ukrainian farmers.

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