On 17 April, an important meeting took place that became the voice of the agrarian front - the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council met with Vitaliy Koval, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine. The dialogue focused on not just problems, but strategic challenges facing the agricultural sector in times of great war: access to finance, agricultural enterprises in the occupied territories, the future of the 5-7-9 preferential lending programme, logistical barriers and land reclamation.

👍Minister next to agrarians: open dialogue and readiness for joint decisions
Vitaliy Koval stressed that the state today is not a deaf observer, but a partner who hears, sees and is ready to act. His position sounded clear and balanced: "We have to be on the same side - to build a strong, vibrant agrarian Ukraine, which, even in difficult times, is able to feed itself and the world. Only in constant dialogue and partnership will we find solutions for every field and every farm."

🔱Priority issues: finance, logistics, security
One of the key issues discussed at the meeting was the need to increase government support for businesses in the frontline areas. The conditions in which farms in eastern and southern Ukraine operate today are critically different from other regions - some equipment cannot move due to fortifications, and fields are constantly under fire. Farmers in the frontline areas are not statistics or lines in reports. They are living people whose farms have been destroyed, whose equipment has been stolen, and whose fields are mined. The meeting participants called on the President to sign Bill No. 12148 as soon as possible, which provides for the freezing of credit obligations for such farms. "This is not just an act of support - it is an act of justice. We cannot demand debt repayment from those who have been deprived of everything by the war.
The cancellation of Ukrzaliznytsia's discount for grain transportation from the frontline regions remains a problem. The All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council (AAC) called for the restoration of the preferential tariff and public reporting on the funds used and balances for the relevant programmes.
The situation with Druzhkivka and Shakhove communities, which are subject to systematic shelling but are not included in the list of areas where active hostilities are taking place, requires special attention. The inclusion of these communities in the relevant list will allow farmers to take advantage of the benefits and protections provided to such areas.
The meeting participants raised the issue of the need to lift the ban on reducing the minimum export price, which makes it impossible to be flexible in volatile markets.

Land reclamation and tariffs: returning to state responsibility
One of the keynote speeches at the meeting was delivered by Alla Stoyanova, an economic expert and member of the Odesa Regional Council, who raised a critical issue for the southern region - the development of irrigation. The issue is particularly acute in the Odesa region, where water is not just a resource, but a living condition.

Alla Stoyanova emphasised:
"Without water, there will be no harvest. And without harvest, there will be no economy, no village, no Ukraine. The South today needs action, not sympathy. If we all - the government, farmers, donors - invest in irrigation, we will get more than just hectares of corn or cotton. We will win - economically, socially, strategically. The South is not just a region, it is a breadbasket. Give us water and we will give you bread."
Alla Stoyanova developed proposals to improve state support for land reclamation development. The document was submitted to the working group for consideration. It analyses the actual state of the region's irrigation systems, outlines key issues and proposes specific ways to develop land reclamation in the face of modern challenges. This is the result of close cooperation with leading agricultural producers, scientists and water management specialists working to restore and modernise irrigation in southern Ukraine.

🔆The meeting also emphasised the importance of adopting draft law No. 7577, which will allow the transfer of reclamation infrastructure to state operators with the involvement of water users in management. This will ensure efficiency and control in the strategic water supply sector.

Special attention was paid to the status of implementation of the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine and Other Laws of Ukraine on Ensuring the Balance of Budget Revenues during the Period of Martial Law" in terms of updating the Methodology for Regulatory Monetary Valuation of Land.

According to clause 6 of the Final and Transitional Provisions of this Law, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is obliged to make appropriate amendments to the Methodology of Normative Monetary Valuation of Land within three months from the date of its entry into force. This is to take into account the effects of climate change, in particular the reduction in the hydrothermal coefficient of humidification, as well as the reduction in the area of irrigated land due to the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam. It is envisaged that these changes should be applied as early as 1 January 2025 to the results of the nationwide normative monetary valuation of agricultural land.

According to the approved Plan for Organising the Preparation of Draft Acts, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine was instructed to submit the relevant draft to the Government by 14 February 2025. However, as of today, no relevant amendments have been made to the Methodology approved by Resolution No. 1147 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 3 November 2021. This is a concern for the agricultural community, as further delay may negatively affect the calculation of the tax burden on agricultural producers who have already suffered from the hostilities and the loss of irrigated land.

Medium-sized agribusiness is the backbone of the rural economy
The discussion also focused on the topic of state support for medium-sized agribusinesses. This segment is not as high-profile as large agricultural holdings and not as vulnerable as small farmers. However, it is this segment that provides jobs in villages, stability in the market, development of processing and domestic food security. Farmers once again reminded of the need for legislative permission to use the right to lease land as collateral, which would significantly expand access to financial resources in critical conditions.

That is why the continuation and expansion of the 5-7-9 programme is not just financial support. It is an investment in the stability of the state. Today, this programme is a lifeline for many farms. Tomorrow, it should become the foundation for growth and post-war recovery.
Unity that gives strength

The meeting on 17 April proved that farmers are not left to face their difficulties alone. The state hears, experts speak out loud about critical issues, and agribusiness is ready to be a partner, not a supplicant. There is great strength in such an association.

💬And as Alla Stoyanova said:
We have faith, we have land, and we have hands that know how to work. This means we will have bread. There will be a future."
And there will be victory - not only on the battlefield, but also in the field of wheat.

💙💛WE WORK TOGETHER TO WIN!