The Ukrainian government is supporting the spring sowing campaign for tillage farmers in the country.

Ukraine’s prime minister Denys Shmyhal said his cabinet has adopted a decision aimed to ensure reimbursement by the state for interest on loans farmers take to cover any expenses related to agricultural activities.

Farmers will also be provided with state guarantees for 80% of the amount of loans they have leveraged.

“This will allow our farmers to raise funds for the sowing campaign and have confidence that they will not go bankrupt in case of losing their crops,” said the prime minister.

Shmyhal encouraged farmers to commence crop planting “shortly where the situation is secure.”

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal announced details of the spring sowing campaign support in a video address.

Support line

Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Roman Leshchenko, has also encouraged farmers to plant their crops. A designated support line has been set up for tillage farmers with the aim of assisting them in overcoming seed, fertiliser, labour and market access challenges.

Outlining Ukraine’s food security situation, Denys Shmyhal said: “The current balances show that Ukraine is provided with basic foodstuffs for the coming months, but we must also think about the future.”

Meanwhile, as previously revealed by the Irish Farmers Journal, the Ukrainian government has either banned or restricted the export of critical food products during war time martial law.

The agricultural produce prohibited for export includes wheat, buckwheat, meat, eggs, oil and sugar.