Agribusiness Council official calls for Ukrainian-Polish cooperation

WASHINGTON - Nicholas E. Hollis, president of the Agribusiness Council (ABC), recently visited Poland and Ukraine and called for more cooperative exchanges between agribusiness leaders in the two countries.

In prepared remarks before the second annual Polish Agribusiness Association conference, Mr. Hollis urged the Polish non-profit group to assist interested Ukrainians to form a counterpart association in the breadbasket of the former USSR.

"No matter what level of privatization emerges," Mr. Hollis stated, "the globalization of agriculture places a premium on organization, and Ukraine needs to get its food system better organized."

During meetings in Kyiv and in outlying districts, Mr. Hollis pressed his theme, noting that Ukraine's heartland is not realizing its productive capability and could benefit by setting up a new association, possibly in cooperation with the Polish Agribusiness Association, to tap into outside markets and obtain additional information on new technologies.

The Agribusiness Council, a U.S.-based non-profit association in its 30th year of operation, helped created the Polish counterpart in 1995 and is providing association management training as part of a memorandum of understanding signed by each association's chief executive.

Following Mr. Hollis' debriefing visit to Warsaw, the Polish Agribusiness Association issued invitations to a number of Ukrainian agricultural leaders to visit Warsaw for discussions. Travel support for the Ukrainian delegation will be provided by PL/ABC and European (FAPA) assistance programs.

For further information on the Poland/Ukraine initiative contact Ewa Skubiz at (202) 887-9178 by fax, or call (202) 296-4563.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 9, 1997, No. 10, Vol. LXV

| Home Page |