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Ukraine farm project beats 5,000 target a large‑scale buyer A MEDA project to will arrive and offer help Ukraine farmhigher prices. He will ers boost production know that we offer and income has a good product and surpassed its target an honest deal and of enlisting 5,000 so he’ll be back. The farmers. project has changed The Ukraine Horour way of thinking, ticultural Developwhich is very imment Project (UHDP) portant. Otherwise, educates farmers in everyone would be modern cultivation so secretive, never practices to grow letting neighbors into berries, vegetables, his yard. We used to table grapes and be competitors, but medicinal herbs. It now we are partaims to improve their ners.” standards of living through innovative Last fall the project technology, increased organized Ukraine’s cooperation and first tomato festival market linkages. to showcase clients’ “The social aspect production, including is also quite impora contest for growing Farmers hoist trophies for winning the biggest tomato contest at the 2011 tant, such as helping the biggest tomato. Tomato Festival. “It’s great to see how proud they are to show off what poor and socially Major distributors, they had grown,” says project director Stephen Wright. “This is the first vulnerable individusuch as the country’s time in their lives someone has shown appreciation for their work.” als so they may find largest supermarket profitable work in their own chain, were introduced to the and farmers together. Lead curate decision making.” village,” says project director region’s tomatoes and other Lead farmer Diogen Karelov farmer Mikhail Dzhorkashvili Stephen Wright. greenhouse produce. says that in his village more says cold‑storage technology Farmers in the Crimea and A web‑based weather serthan 40 members were actively facilitated by UHDP has been a Zaporozhye regions now are vice was introduced so farmers engaged in the consolidation big help. “There was a period can easily access weather foregrowing more diverse crops, efforts, “and their number is this year when the prices for casts and data about potential utilizing better technology constantly on the rise. People cucumbers fell sharply,” he plant diseases. “This is crucial such as greenhouses and irsee a promising future and says. “We decided not to for us,” says lead farmer Vera rigation, and gaining synergies want to band together to sell at this price, and instead Morozova. “When you bus in from marketing together. ensure mutual success.” moved all the produce into a team of workers from the The project selects “lead Another lead farmer, cold storage. After five days city and take them to the fields farmers” known for skill and Reshat Bilyalov, credits UHDP the price more than tripled, to harvest crops, but then it entrepreneurship and provides and a buyer emerged who was for showing farmers how to starts raining in half an hour, special training which they “work in a completely new extremely pleased with our you have to stop the work but pass on to others in their vilway. In the past, we would refrigerated produce.” still pay for the bus and the lage clusters. never tell our neighbors what Centralized trade venues labor. It’s the same with the Through these efforts crop varieties we were planbrought wholesale buyers watering. If we see that we are farmers in the project last year ning to plant. But now we going to have some rain in the consolidated and sold more “We’re learning how have come to the realization next few days, we can reduce than 3,000 tons of produce, that consolidation is the way to work in a com‑ our watering so the plants says Oleg Osaulyuk, UHDP to go — more produce means pletely new way.... don’t get oversaturated.” deputy manager. “The project more buyers. We are also now The five‑year $10 million expanded its computer‑based aware that we have to help We used to be com‑ project is supported by the Camarketing information system, each other. There is a clear petitors, but now we understanding that if I do well, nadian International Developwhich ensured effective sales are partners.” monitoring, analysis and acand so does my neighbor, then ment Agency (CIDA). ◆ The Marketplace May June 2012
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