Mennonite Economic DevelopmentAssociates of Canada

Published purpose

This project seeks to increase the growth of small and medium-sized horticulture businesses, particularly those led by women. The project expects to reach approximately 30,000 farmers in four of Ukraine’s most significant horticulture product producing regions (Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolayiv, and Odessa), and an additional 14,000 clients of service providers and supply companies in these locations and throughout Ukraine. It improves cooperation between small and medium-sized horticulture enterprises to create economies of scale that individual farmers are unable to access on their own. It also works with agricultural colleges, advisory service companies, lending organizations and farming cooperatives to establish the broader support structures for sustainable small-scale horticulture production. Some project activities include: (1) providing equipment, as well as training and technical assistance on better agricultural practices to farmers; (2) setting up a loan mechanism to help farmers access financing to enable them to invest in their businesses; and (3) helping local agricultural training institutes to develop new courses on efficient and environmentally sustainable management of small horticultural farms.