Mariia Didukh has been appointed Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine

There have been personnel changes at the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine. On 2 November 2026, Mariia Didukh — a leading expert on reforming the agricultural and economic sectors, European integration and international trade — was appointed Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.

The newly appointed official has over 18 years’ professional experience in the fields of economic policy, the development of state institutions and the fostering of systematic dialogue between the state and the agricultural sector, including over 7 years in the civil service.

Education and career path

Maria Didukh completed her higher education at the National Agrarian University. In 2005, she qualified as a manager-economist, specialising in ‘Management of Foreign Economic Activity’, and in 2006 she obtained a Master’s degree in Public Administration.

Throughout her career, she has held a number of senior and managerial positions:

• She led various areas of work at the All-Ukrainian Agricultural Forum;
• She worked in the Recovery and Reform Support Team (RST) at the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine;
• She headed the working group on the implementation of agricultural support programmes at the Ministry of Agrarian Policy;
• She worked as a government relations adviser on the large-scale USAID Harvest Activity project;
• She served as an agricultural trade expert for the international Agritrade Ukraine project.

In addition, Maria Didukh has authored practical guides for domestic producers on the conditions for exporting agri-food products to European Union markets and has regularly participated in working groups on agricultural reform.

Key areas of responsibility in the role

In her role as Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy, Maria Didukh will focus on strategic issues relating to the sector’s development in the face of current challenges. Her areas of responsibility and priorities include:

1. European integration and trade: the harmonisation of Ukrainian agricultural legislation with the rules and standards of the European Union (the EU acquis), as well as the expansion of trade and economic relations between Ukraine and the EU;
2. Dialogue with the business community: establishing effective coordination between the government, relevant agricultural associations and agricultural producers;
3. International cooperation: strengthening collaboration with foreign partners and donors to attract resources for the recovery and development of the Ukrainian agricultural sector;
4. Sectoral reforms: the development and implementation of effective government programmes to support agriculture.

The appointment of a specialist with extensive practical experience in the field of ZED and European integration is intended to strengthen the position of Ukrainian agricultural exports and accelerate the adaptation of the domestic agricultural sector to the requirements of the European market.

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