Ukraine has expanded its national horticulture support program to include funding for the establishment of almond orchards in seven regions. The change follows petitions from the Ukrainian Nut Association and scientific recommendations from the Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences (NAAS), according to the Association's President, Heorhii Yudin.
Under Government Resolution No. 520 (23 May 2023), the existing support program (Resolution No. 738) now allows growers in Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Zakarpattia, Kirovohrad, and Donetsk regions to apply for state grants for almond planting.
The decision concludes eight years of joint research between NAAS's Institute of Horticulture and the Ukrainian Nut Association. Initial trials began in 2017 at a commercial orchard operated by Filbert LLC in the Odesa region. Further, more extensive research was carried out by the "Almond Gardens" nursery, first near Oleshky in Kherson region (prior to occupation) and since 2022 near Svitlovodsk in Kirovohrad region.
On 12 September, the "Almond Gardens" nursery hosted an international scientific and practical conference dedicated to almond cultivation. During the event, the Institute of Horticulture (NAAS), the Institute of Climate-Oriented Agriculture (NAAS), Mykolaiv State Agrarian University, and the Ukrainian Nut Association signed a memorandum on further cooperation in developing almond production in Ukraine.
Experts expect that access to state grants could encourage new orchard development and support the growth of this emerging horticultural sector.
Source: agronews.ua
