News | Contact | Feedback

News

Main

Development Objective 

Community

Directory

Member Services
(Password Protected)

     March 11, 2003

For immediate distribution                   Contact:
11 March 2003                                   Ihor Vuytsyk, Tel: 011 380 44 451 44 56

An organizational meeting was held for the establishment of a National Ukrainian member organization, named the "National Association of Agricultural Extension (advisory) Services of Ukraine"

On March 11, 2003 under the initiative of specialists from 17 agricultural extension (advisory) service centres, and the Training & Coordination Centre, an organizational meeting was held at which was established a National Ukrainian membership organization, "The National Association of Agricultural Extension (advisory) Services of Ukraine". The purpose for which the Association was created is to assist in the further improvement of the well-being of the rural population and in the detailed development of rural regions, through raising of the level of knowledge, improving on traditional practices of rural residents and agricultural producers, and the satisfaction and protection of the social, economic, professional, and other mutual interests of the members of the association. 

The association was established under the initiative of existing rural extension (advisory) services and centres of support for private enterprise. This National Ukrainian membership organization lists as a principal goal the elimination of poverty, the raising of the standard of living of the rural population and increasing the profitability of all types of enterprises. The organization is called on to encourage the establishment of extension (advisory) services in those oblasts where there are no services, to establish pre-conditions for the official recognition and regulation of extension (advisory) service activities, to facilitate access of the rural population and agricultural producers to publicly necessary extension (advisory) services, such as are not profitable for commercial consulting firms. 

The association is also established with the goal of assisting specialists in extension (advisory) services to service their direct clients - farmers, large reformed agricultural enterprises, independent subsistent agricultural enterprises, rural residents and rural communities. This will enable agricultural producers and rural residents to more easily adjust to market conditions, increase profitability in the sale of their products and lower purchase costs of production inputs, assert their constitutional rights as to land and property, and to develop small and medium-sized businesses in rural regions.

Extension (advisory) services already carry out activities in 17 oblasts of Ukraine. A key role was played here by international technical assistance projects. To carry out the coordination of activities, the exchange of materials, the organization for the training of specialists of such services, the institutional form was created in the National Association of Agricultural Extension (advisory) Services, the executive body of which is the Training and Coordination Centre of Agricultural Extension (advisory) Services (TCC ). Mr. Roman Schmidt, Deputy State Secretary for the Ministry of Agrarian Policy was chosen as President of the Association.

Top