PR_MCPost Mission Briefing | Business Mission to Spain “AgroInnovation Exchange Ukraine-Spain”
On August 7, 2025, the Mayors’ Club of Ukraine, the the Ukrainian Agency for Municipal Economic Development (UMEDA) and ALLE FOOD UKRAINE held an informational briefing summarizing the sectoral business mission on horticulture and berry farming, which took place in June this year in the Spanish regions of Huelva and Murcia with the participation of the Ukrainian Blueberry Growers Association. The briefing also included discussions on the organization of a new business mission, scheduled for September 29 – October 4.
The event was opened with a welcome address by Yuliya Chufistova, Member of the Presidium of the Mayors’ Club and CEO of UMEDA, who emphasized the strategic importance of building international partnerships among three key economic segments: communities, businesses, and local organizations. She highlighted the strong interest of Ukrainian farmers in studying Spain’s experience in berry and horticultural production, particularly in the implementation of innovative irrigation methods, crop storage systems, and greenhouse technologies.
The first speaker was Juan Antonio Garcia, Mayor of the city of Bonares, who shared his inspiring impressions from communicating with the Ukrainian participants who visited him during the trade mission and spoke about future plans for cooperation between cities and businesses. He emphasized that although the Ukrainian delegation did not have enough time to see the full range of technological capacities of local agricultural enterprises, each of its members gained a comprehensive understanding of the modern approaches to cultivation, storage, and export of produce that are actively applied in the Huelva region. In addition, Juan Antonio expressed his readiness to support Ukraine in expanding its economic potential in Spain.
🟠 Next, the floor was taken by Fernando Gómez, General Director of the ProExport Association, who thoroughly outlined the specifics of Spanish product exports, in particular various vegetable crops (zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, different types of lettuce, artichokes, etc.), and expressed his willingness to resume cooperation with the Ukrainian side by initiating supplies of scarce fruits and vegetables. He also invited all participants to personally attend the Fruit Attraction exhibition in Madrid this autumn. In his opinion, participation in this event would be an excellent opportunity for Ukrainian entrepreneurs to establish closer partnerships with leading market players and to see the latest agricultural technologies in action.
The final speaker among the Spanish partners was Carlos Fernandez, representative of the public organization Help to Ukraine, who shared his views on the prospects of establishing a system of bilateral cooperation between Ukrainian and Spanish municipalities in light of current realities. In addition, he announced the creation of a dedicated commission on the recovery and support of Ukraine in Spain.
The info-briefing was concluded by Olena Kaizhen, Director of ALLE FOOD UKRAINE, who provided a comprehensive overview of the recent business mission, shared her experience of meeting with leaders of the Spanish agri-market, and gave a thorough answer to the key question: how can a community or a business enhance its investment attractiveness index for potential partners. In her presentation, she devoted significant attention to the specifics of the export/import process of Ukrainian and Spanish blueberries, clearly demonstrating that this segment has exceptionally high potential for the development of bilateral trade.
📝 At the end of the briefing, Yuliya Chufistova was pleased to announce the upcoming business mission to Spain, during which participants will have the opportunity to attend the global Fruit Attraction in Madrid on September 30 – October 2, 2025. The mission will also include numerous B2B meetings, as well as trips to the greenhouse and horticultural region of Murcia and the berry-producing region of Huelva, organized for small groups of specialized companies. In addition, five Ukrainian communities will be selected to establish partnerships with Spanish municipalities in relevant industries to ensure effective and productive cooperation. Registration for participation is already open at the provided link.
In conclusion, this meeting once again demonstrated that Ukrainian communities and businesses are ready for international strategic partnerships, open to new innovative agricultural technologies, and—most importantly—have the ambition and potential to transform their country for the better. Spain’s experience is not just an example, but a guiding benchmark for those who strive to transform the agricultural sector, attract foreign investment, and build a “green” economy.
The best time to act is today. And initiatives like this business mission open the door to real change.
📥 You can watch the full recording of the online conference on our YouTube channel and explore in more detail the outcomes of the recent sectoral mission by following the link.