From Tokyo to Ukrainian fields: how Japan’s experience will strengthen farmer training

Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine participated in a training session ("Human Resource Development and Support Systems in Japanese Horticulture " to exchange experiences on support and training systems, in particular for women farmers. The event was held in Tokyo under JICA project - " Project on Promotion of Small-scale Horticultural Agriculture: Enhancing Inclusiveness of Women Farmers."

Participants learned about the initiatives of the Kanagawa Prefectural Bureau of Environment and Agriculture, including programs to develop women’s capacity in agriculture. During visits to strawberry, vegetable and flower farms, participants had the opportunity to hear first-hand the views of women farmers on support and training, as well as see the practical implementation of these systems. Special attention was dedicated to the role of agricultural training providers and agricultural machinery manufacturers, including a visit to the production site of ISEKI & CO., LTD and a meeting with Kakuichi, a manufacturer of nanobubble generators. 

The training also included discussions with the project team on improving training materials and ensuring sustainability and scaling up training after the project. Approaches to improving materials in various training courses and increasing their effectiveness were considered. At a final session with JICA HQ, the key findings were summarized and practical recommendations were developed for the development of human resource training systems in horticulture. 

The third cycle of training courses for novice farmers seeking to gain practical knowledge to start or develop their own business in the agricultural sector is open until April 10, 2026.

The training will be held from May 18 to June 10, 2026 in Ukraine at selected JICA agricultural vocational education institutions:

•    Separate structural unit "Nemishaiev Vocational College of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine" (Link for registration )

•    Northern Center of Professional Education (Link for registration)

•    Zhytomyr Agricultural Technical College (Link for registration)

The training balances theory with practice and covers four areas: agribusiness, production technologies, marketing technologies, and tractor driver training.

The Ministry of Education and Science, in cooperation with JICA, will continue to work on modernizing the system of agricultural vocational education, which will contribute to the development of agriculture in Ukraine.

For reference: the project " Project on Promotion of Small-scale Horticultural Agriculture: Enhancing Inclusiveness of Women Farmers " was launched by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Economy, and JICA in June 2024. The project's goal: to improve the production capacity and business skills of farmers. In particular, to increase the inclusiveness of women farmers, IDPs, and war veterans.