The Cabinet of Ministers found the African market promising for the products of the Ukrainian agro-industrial complex.
Ukraine intends to increase the trade turnover with the countries of the African continent, the government is reviewing the idea of establishing a free trade zone with the West African countries. The minister of the agricultural policy and food industry, Alexey Pavlenko, announced that on his Facebook page on 25th of January.
“The African continent is one of the most promising according to the development indicators. That is why Ukraine is working on the expansion of the agriculture products export towards this region. Ukraine export dynamics is rather high – from 1996 to 2014 the volume of export increased by 24,3 times.” – said the minister, adding that the African market is showing a tendency to the growth.
Pavlenko explained, that for the moment, the largest consumers of the Ukrainian products on the continent are the countries of North Africa, first of all – Egypt. The government is examining the potential of the South African markets and the possibility to establish a free trade zone with them.
“Among other things, we are studying the possibility to establish a free trade zone with the South African countries. That is where we can find one of the most powerful economies of the African Sub-Sahara countries – Nigeria. Moreover, the markets of Nigeria, Niger, Guinea, Mali, are the main distribution areas of the Ukrainian powdered milk, and we can intensify this cooperation” – emphasized the head of the ministry.
As was stated by the minister, Ukraine increased the export volume of condensed milk, meat, cheese, yogurts, pastry, water, wine and tobacco in the African countries.