Japan to aid Ukraine in restoring agriculture

Japan and Ukraine agreed to establish a joint working group that will develop a strategy for the restoration of Ukraine's agriculture, the Agriculture Ministry said on Oct. 5.

The announcement comes after a meeting between Markiian Dmytrasevych, Ukraine's deputy agriculture minister, and Mizuno Masayoshi, the director-general of the Export and International Affairs Bureau of Japan's Agriculture Ministry.

The chief task of the working group will be to utilize Japan's experience, technology, and assets in restoring Ukraine's agricultural sector.

The two countries also aim to promote the participation of Japanese companies in Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction.

The first meeting of the working group is scheduled for late October.

According to a report by the Kyiv School of Economics published in April, the damages to Ukraine's agricultural sector and land resources have cost $8.7 billion since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Following Moscow's termination of the Black Sea grain deal, Russian forces have escalated their attacks on Ukraine's ports and agricultural infrastructure in an effort to hamper the country's grain exports.