American development agency to support small-scale farming in Ukraine

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a project worth more than 20 million U.S. dollars to support small-scale farming in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Agriculture Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The new four-year technical assistance project -- the Agriculture and Rural Development Support, is aimed at supporting economic growth by increasing the competitiveness of agricultural producers," the ministry said in a statement.

The project will improve the competitiveness of Ukraine's small and medium-sized farms by supporting reforms in the agricultural sector, which are aimed at improving the business environment and attracting investment, the statement said.

As a part of the initiative, Ukrainian vegetable, fruit, milk and meat producers will receive technical assistance on international standards of quality and safety and entering export markets, it said. Endi