Ukraine, China continue talks on agricultural cooperation

The government continues talks with China on cooperation in the agricultural sector. As explained by Mykola Prysiazhnyuk, the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, China will provide credits and investments to Ukraine, and our country, on its part, will supply agricultural products on the Chinese market, the Information-Analytical Bulletin of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine informs.

“In three years, I have been in talks with China, the issue of ownership or long-term rental leasehold of Ukrainian agricultural land by Chinese companies has never been and is not planned to be brought up. And those issues are not on the agenda of cooperation with  China,” the minister assured.

Government analysts say, the Chinese market is very attractive for any country, and the whole world is fighting for it today. The officials forecast that the Heavenly Empire is going to import all kinds of products in the amount of 10 trillion USD in 5 years. And Ukraine, being an export-oriented country, does not miss an opportunity to trade on this promising market even today. Xi Jinping, the President of the Chinese People’s Republic, stated a few days ago that Ukraine will become the main supplier of food to China from 2014.

This can be evidenced by a number of joint trade agreements between the two countries. China has become Ukraine's new market for agricultural products. The governments of both parties agreed the export rules and standards efficiently and without any controversy.

Though China established a 10-year certification period for import of agricultural products, quality standards for Ukrainian maize, soybeans and barley were agreed in under a year. As early as 2014, these products will enter the market of the Heavenly Empire. The protocols of phytosanitary requirements will be developed in 2014 for the export of rapeseed and wheat as well. Also, a detailed program of economic cooperation between Ukraine and China will be developed by July 1, 2014. According to the minister, a contract was signed to deliver refined and unrefined flax seed oil to China in 2014–2015.