In FY 2010, Heifer-Ukraine has continued its active partnership-building work to support smallholders, as well as AS coops – effective project holders of Ukraine and active agents of change in rural development.

After Heifer- Ukraine has successfully lobbied for the approval of The State Special Economic Program of Supporting Agricultural Service Cooperatives Development till 2015 (adopted in 2009); it continues advocacy to ensure effective implementation of this program. Last year Heifer-Ukraine has actively assisted coops to participate in the competition in the frame of this State Program and receive state co-funding for purchasing equipment.

One of the positive results of our advocacy is the recognition of Heifer-Ukraine’s successes in supporting AS coops and developing effective methodologies in this field. Heifer-Ukraine could not have achieved this, of course, without close collaboration with the Ministry of Agricultural Policy of Ukraine.

For the last several years, Heifer-Ukraine has been actively involved in consulting the Ministry of Agricultural Policy of Ukraine on policy development in the field of agricultural service cooperation.

One of the most important lobbying issues for Heifer-Ukraine, as stipulated in its Strategic Plan, is ensuring state-wide development of Agricultural Service Cooperatives (ASCs) – effective project holders for Heifer-Ukraine and active agents of change in rural development. ASCs are membership based non-profit organizations that work to serve the needs of their members in terms of providing additional services and income.

Heifer Ukraine has lobbied for the approval of The State Special Economic Program of Supporting Agricultural Service Cooperatives Development till 2015.  The Program has been finally adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on June 3^rd, 2009.  This important step in national rural policy development was achieved thanks in no small part to all efforts of Heifer-Ukraine and the cooperatives it supports.

The adoption of the Program is only a first step to prosperity of rural communities. Now more than ever it depends on the ASCs themselves to actively grasp the newly opened opportunities. Heifer-Ukraine also goes a step further to promote the efficient implementation of the Program and consult the ASCs on receiving the state support. An active discussion of the new Program was initiated during the special national round table organized jointly by the Ministry of Agricultural Policy of Ukraine, Heifer-Ukraine, and the Institute of Development of Agrarian Markets (USAID-supported project).

The round table took place on June 11^th, 2009 and was one of the first official events during the AGRO-2009 exhibition, an annual international agricultural fair conducted in Ukraine. The topic of the round table was “Agricultural Service Cooperation – Revival and Opportunities”. It attracted experts, representatives from ASCs, rural community leaders from all over Ukraine. The majority of the present co-op representatives were leaders of Heifer-Ukraine’s projects.

The round table started with presentations by experts, including the presentation by the Program Director Vladyslav Karpenko on Heifer Ukraine’s approaches to support ASCs with an emphasis on procedures of providing equipment and how authorities might use Heifer-Ukraine’s experience.

Experts provided advice on developing ASC statutes, applying for state support in the frame of the Program, designing plans of cooperative development. There was also a discussion of problems in ASC development.

The list of speakers also included three leaders of Heifer Ukraine’s projects, who shared their problems and insights on development of their cooperatives and effective problem-solving strategies. The leader of the project # 27-0840-21 Halyna Halytska described the experience her ASC had in the search for the best markets to sell milk. The leader of the project #27-0829-01  Valentyn Lutsenko talked about his experience in the development of the regional association of ASCs and about integrated approach in milk production with accounting for cattle breeding and ensuring high quality of pastures.  Yulia Vasylevska from the project # 27-0831-01 shared the experience her ASC had in protecting community land rights for the community pasture and organizing community pasture management. These short presentations evoked numerous questions, as they were emotionally charged and touched upon the sore points in ASC development.

One of the other positive results of the event was the recognition of Heifer-Ukraine’s successes in supporting ASCs and developing effective methodologies in this field. Heifer-Ukraine could not have achieved this, of course, without close collaboration with the Ministry of Agricultural Policy of Ukraine.

Heifer Ukraine’s experts and ASC representatives have provided their recommendations for the Ministry of Agricultural Policy of Ukraine on ways of implementing the State Program.

An additional unexpected and interesting result was that a national agricultural magazine Agribusiness has decided to make a special issue about ASCs! Heifer-Ukraine will be one of the biggest contributors with its broad experience and success stories of different cooperatives.