KIEV, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The Kherson region in southern Ukraine is interested in agricultural cooperation with Chinese businesses, local authorities said on Tuesday.
Representatives of the Chinese Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (CASME) in Ukraine held a meeting with Kherson regional administration representatives to discuss investment potential in the agricultural sphere in the region, the Kherson administration's press service said.
First Deputy Head of the Kherson administration Dmytro Butriy said that the region is interested in cooperation and is ready to help with investment projects at all stages.
"Kherson region is a unique territory that has great opportunities and is always ready to cooperate with investors. Today's meeting should be the beginning of fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation between the Kherson region and Chinese businesses," said Butriy.
The Kherson region is one of the leaders in Ukraine in terms of fruit and vegetable production, said Margarita Stepanova, director of the Department of Agriculture Development and Irrigation of the Kherson Regional State Administration.
The region has a huge potential for the development of the processing industry, said Stepanova.
Wang Peng, a CASME representative, expressed interest in cooperating with the Kherson region in the agricultural sector. Wang said that, by pooling their resources and capabilities, the parties will be able to achieve significant results.
In 2020, the Kherson region's goods exports to China increased by 38.1 percent from the previous year to 4.4 million U.S. dollars, while its imports dropped by 36 percent to 39.1 million dollars. Its main export items include animal and vegetable fats and oils. Enditem
