Ukrainian Livestock Summit: AgriAcademy trains a new generation of agrarians

The problem of a shortage of experienced personnel is becoming increasingly acute for Ukrainian farmers, particularly in livestock farming. This was reported by Oksana Yurchenko, project coordinator at the FAO Investment Center in Ukraine, during the Ukrainian Livestock Summit 2025, which took place on October 17 in Kyiv.

This year, the Ukrainian Livestock Summit 2025, organized by ProAgro, brought together more than 600 participants: farmers, producers, and scientists. International delegations were present at the summit. Throughout the event, the International Feed School operated within the summit, and the Livestock Expo 2025 exhibition was held, where companies presented innovative solutions for efficient production.

"Even before the war, the problem of staff shortages was one of the main ones, as evidenced by the results of surveys of agricultural enterprises. And with the start of the full-scale invasion, it has intensified significantly. In 2023, more than 80% of farms noted that it was becoming increasingly difficult not only to find “fresh” specialists, but also to fill critical vacancies for the enterprise in general," commented Oksana Yurchenko.

The expert is convinced that this issue will only become more acute. Therefore, it is obvious that there will be more automation of processes—it is impossible to avoid this. Salaries in the agricultural sector will also increase — only under such conditions is there a chance to retain qualified specialists. However, this is not enough:

“Employees need to be not only motivated but also developed,” she stressed.

According to Oksana Yurchenko, after the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian farmers found themselves in a kind of information vacuum, with most of the