Ukrainian agriculture - crisis and recovery

Ukrainian agriculture is recovering from its ‘transition crisis,’ evidenced by the emergence of land markets and the shift towards private firms making production decisions based on market mechanisms. This has led to a gradual increase in agricultural productivity, although progress is uneven across different farms, regions, and production types. Despite advancements by some farms, the overall capital base in agriculture continues to decline, and management skills remain insufficient to fully leverage Ukraine's agricultural potential and compete globally. The policy responses to the poor harvest in 2003 reveal lingering central planning tendencies within the policy-making framework. This book represents the third publication by the German Advisory Group on agricultural policy in Ukraine and the second in collaboration with the Institute for Economic Reform and Policy Consulting (IER) in Kiev. It continues the tradition of assessing developments in Ukrainian agriculture and includes 15 chapters from IER members, the German Advisory Group, and external authors. Part I proposes a coherent policy strategy and explores topics such as WTO implications, agricultural policy tools, taxation, and the relationship between productivity and poverty. Part II focuses on farm enterprise perspectives, land competition, and management efficiency, while Part III examines specific markets like grain and oilseeds and the potential of futures marke