STEP Announces Extension Of Successful FARM ProgramJuly 29, 2008Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP) is pleased to announce today a two-year extension of the Canada-Ukraine Facility for Agriculture Reform and Modernization (FARM) Program. Managed by STEP, the FARM Program commenced in March 2003 and has successfully delivered much needed assistance to producers, farmers and rural people in Ukraine. This support is vital as the country makes the challenging shift from a centrally planned economic system to one based on free markets and democratic principles. The goal of this extension phase is to make permanent the agriculture advisory services established under the first phase so that they may serve Ukraine’s rural communities well into the future. The first phase of FARM served to lay the groundwork for this extension phase - establishing 19 agriculture advisory services in four regions and staffed with 50 highly-trained Ukrainian specialists. These offices stand as an important hub of information for small farmers and producers offering knowledge and technical best practices on a wide variety of subjects. Demand for these services has been high – with over 80,000 rural dwellers benefitting from counseling, training and seminars offered by the services since they became fully operational in 2005. In addition over a thousand farms have incorporated advanced systems in crop, livestock, organic and vegetable production into their operations as a result of ongoing support and assistance of FARM’s advisory specialists. The services are not limited to agriculture technical issues either - clients also benefit from advice on business management and legal issues provide by staff lawyers and business experts. Lionel LaBelle, President and CEO with STEP noted that “technology transfer is a key success factor to the FARM Program.” He added that “this program supports the delivery of training by Provincial and Canadian specialists on leading edge techniques and technologies; procedures and approaches that have been adapted and modified so to apply to Ukrainian conditions.” The recipients of this “trainer-training” are the 50+ Ukrainian extension specialists staffing the advisory services as well as farmers and producers from all over Ukraine. To date, over 100 provincial specialists and 24 private consultants have devoted their expertise to the program. This is the fourth such initiative in this market that STEP has managed beginning with a forage seed development project in 1996. LaBelle noted that “building on this success and strong partnerships between STEP, the Saskatchewan and Manitoba Provincial Governments and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), STEP will continue to demonstrate its unique ability, as a private-public partnership, to manage innovative, international relationships in order to achieve successful, results-bearing programs and projects.” More information about the Program can be found at www.sasktrade.sk.ca/farm For further information, contact: Lionel LaBelle, President & CEO Angela Wojcichowsky, International Projects
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