The UN Food and Agriculture Organization announced the start of the second cycle of a grant program to support Ukrainian farmers, implemented with financial support from the EU.
As Ukrinform reports, this was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
“FAO and the EU encourage farmers in Lviv, Transcarpathian, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi regions to take part in the second grant cycle. Acceptance of applications is open through the State Agrarian Register (SAR) until January 31, 2024,” the statement says.
The program aims to support the recovery of Ukrainian farmers who face challenges complicated by the impact of war on agribusiness. The program aims to support production, improve efficiency and profitability, and strengthen national value and supply chains in the long term.
Grant recipients will be required to contribute a certain percentage of the total costs, and this amount differs depending on the value chain chosen.
Grants will be paid in hryvnia at the UN exchange rate in the following amounts: up to 370 thousand UAH (10 thousand US dollars) – for small agricultural producers; up to 925 thousand UAH (25 thousand US dollars) – for agricultural micro and small enterprises, agricultural cooperatives and associations of producers of products with geographical indications.
“The EU-funded grant program is designed to help agricultural producers integrate into sustainable value chains, improve their livelihoods, increase employment and rural development,” said Christian Ben Halley, Head of the Agriculture Sector at the EU Delegation to Ukraine .
According to the head of FAO in Ukraine, Pierre Vautier, the first grant cycle demonstrated great interest in the project among farmers forced to work in the face of numerous business shocks caused by the war.
“Thanks to investment grant support in the first grant cycle, we provided farmers with the tools to ensure the transformation of agriculture towards modernization and adaptation to new conditions and challenges,” he added.
As part of the first cycle, 138 applications were selected from 212 applications received by the State Agrarian Register. The total amount of grant support is $1.73 million.
The most popular investments include the purchase of tractors, solar panels, and specialized manufacturing and processing equipment.
As reported, FAO provided winter wheat and barley seeds to Ukrainian farmers during the autumn sowing campaign in 2023.