Agriculture and Seafood

Ukraine is renowned for its highly favorable natural conditions for agriculture. Almost 71 % of Ukraine’s territory is farmland and 55 % is arable land, making it among the world's biggest agricultural producers and often described as the “breadbasket of Europe”. Ukrainian agriculture is of vast importance, representing the backbone of Ukraine’s economy and capable of influencing global crop prices.

Ukraine exports various grains and oilseeds and it has been a significant emergency food aid contributor to the United Nations' World Food Program. Before 2022, Ukraine was the sixth largest wheat exporter in the world. Since the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has been deprived of large parts of its arable land due to occupation and challenges with contaminated fields. Agricultural machines, farming equipment, and storage complexes have been attacked, and logistics has faced many obstacles. With fever ports under Ukrainian control for shipping and disagreements at the Polish border, The Black Sea Grain initiative has been vital to continued Ukrainian exports, albeit still threatened by continued attacks.

Despite the ongoing invasion, Ukrainian farmers continue to grow their grains, ensuring global food security. This is partially enabled by Ukrainian bravery, but also by international financing institutions and donors.

Food & Beverages

In recent years, we have seen an influx of Ukrainian food and drink products to Norway. Today you will find Ukrainian sunflower oil in the supermarkets, together with Ukrainian beer and wine. The Norwegian-Ukrainian Free Trade Agreement is still an obstacle for many Ukrainian producers wanting to enter the Norwegian market, but increasingly more products are exempt from high tariffs and tolls.

NUCC is actively encouraging Norwegian distributors to buy more from Ukraine.

AgriTech

There is great potential for increased cooperation between our two countries within the agricultural sector. Where Ukraine boasts flat and arable fields, Norway boasts rocky mountains and a challenging climate. Norwegian output is greatly driven by innovation within AgriTech and together with Ukrainian manufacturing and software, there is a large untapped potential. However, cooperation within this sector is not only supportive of Ukraine but also beneficial for both countries.

In a challenging international business climate, where established trade agreements are at risk, Ukraine can supply much-needed crops, soybeans, and vegetable oils to Norway. All with a small carbon footprint.

Seafood & Fish

Ukraine has for several years been an important market for Norwegian fish exports. Surprisingly, the seafood trade between Norway and Ukraine has grown compared to pre-war numbers. Norwegian fish for export to the EU market is also sent to Ukraine reprocessing due to its skilled workers and relatively lower costs.

A category with huge potential in Ukraine is animal- and fish-feed ingredients. Ukraine is already an exporter of raw materials but the accessibility to international financing contributes to several key players investing in value-adding facilities for products such as soy protein concentrate and other specific oils.

Project Manager

Andreas Tranøy
at@nucc.no