Former Prince Edward Island MP Wayne Easter and his business partner, Allan Parker, have been active in Ukraine since the previous year with the aim of enhancing the nation's economic and agricultural prospects through the potato industry. Their efforts include improving potato quality for better market prices and establishing a Ukrainian seed potato certification for quality assurance. They plan to introduce Canadian agricultural technology and expertise to Ukraine.
"We are trying to establish Canadian credibility on the ground in Ukraine, which would foster better trading relationships and hopefully raise the economy of both countries," Easter commented. He was motivated by the economic discussions at the 2022 Rebuild Ukraine conference in Toronto. Together with Parker and two other partners, they founded Razom Invest Canada Inc., headquartered in PEI, to facilitate the export of Canadian goods, services, and technology to Ukraine.
The initiative aims to address issues in the quality of Ukrainian potatoes, attributed to harvesting, handling, and storage practices. Razom has imported equipment from the Netherlands and plans to introduce Canadian potato farming technology and collaborate with Ukrainian partners for manufacturing.
Razom's operations have been partly funded by a $40,000 contribution from the PEI government, supporting the promotion of Canadian expertise in Ukraine and covering travel expenses. The remainder of the funding is provided by the four partners involved in the initiative.
Source: theglobeandmail.com