With USAID Support, Ukraine’s Farmers Brave Bullets and Mines to Put Food on the Table
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is using hunger as a weapon of war, creating food insecurity in Ukraine and threatening to disrupt global food supplies
As its brutal invasion of Ukraine rages on, Russia’s military is targeting food stocks and machinery, blocking seaports, and razing farmland in an effort to destroy the country’s agriculture sector. These tactics directly damage the livelihoods of more than 13 million Ukrainians living in rural communities, while also creating food insecurity in the country’s cities and disrupting global food supplies.
The targeted attacks are especially harmful for the supply of critical commodities such as wheat, corn, and rapeseed (the key ingredient in many cooking oils). As the world’s fifth-largest exporter of wheat, fourth-largest exporter of corn, and third-largest exporter of rapeseed, any disruption to Ukrainian agriculture has major global implications, especially for developing countries that depend on food imports.
Russia’s war on Ukraine has already significantly disrupted global food prices. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food Price Index reported a 12.6% increase in global food prices in March alone, including all-time price highs for cereals and vegetable oils. The report blames the price hikes in part on reduced export supplies from the Black Sea region. In reality, both the price hikes and supply-chain disruptions are symptoms of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.
Despite the very real targets on their backs, Ukrainian farmers started the planting season in April — in some cases even dressed in flak jackets and accompanied by deminers. As part of USAID’s five-year, $35 million project to strengthen Ukraine’s agriculture sector — support that has become even more critical amid Russia’s full-scale invasion — we are providing targeted assistance to help farmers deliver an adequate harvest, ease domestic food insecurity, and provide supplies for the global market.
Providing 5,000 farmers with the supplies and services they need for this year’s harvest
As Russia’s invasion wreaks havoc on farmland and infrastructure, Ukraine faces both supply shortages and logistical difficulties reaching farmers with the supplies they need for a productive harvest. USAID is partnering with agricultural sector associations and private sector partners to deliver critical agricultural supplies and services to up to 5,000 farmers across Ukraine, accounting for roughly 10 percent of the country’s small farmers.
We are procuring and helping deliver vegetable seeds and animal feed to help farmers produce food to meet Ukraine’s domestic needs. This has already boosted food production in hard-hit regions such as Kharkiv and Poltava, where family-owned farms are now growing more food to soothe shortages in towns and cities that have been hit hard by Russia’s invasion.
To reverse the alarming decline in the number of milking cows (another result of Russia’s invasion), we are providing family-owned dairy farms with critical veterinary pharmaceuticals to help their remaining cows stay healthy and productive. New milk cooling tanks are also helping small dairy producers keep their supplies fresh and fit to go to market — ensuring an adequate supply of milk for families and helping farmers continue earning revenue.
“It is good that the seeds are available. Now, we will be able to sow and to harvest,” said one farmer based in Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine.
“We believe that this is the best approach. Not to feed us once, but to help us get back on our feet. We are not afraid of work; we will manage and restore Ukraine even better than it was before the war!”
Using mobile applications to help farmers apply for bank loans and state subsidies
With fields and equipment damaged by Russia’s invasion and key supplies such as fuel in short supply, many farmers are in need of emergency financing. To address this issue, USAID is helping connect farmers with banks specializing in agriculture loans.
We support three mobile match-making platforms that allow farmers to enter data into a preformatted loan application form. The platforms, developed in partnership with Ukraine’s private sector, process the data and conduct risk evaluation, telling the user which banks are best suited to their needs. The platforms then generate the loan application form itself, which can be quickly processed by the bank. Since the start of Russia’s invasion, 65 small farmers have obtained loans totaling UAH 46 million ($USD 1.6 million) to help them continue farming. The activity is expected to reach many more people throughout the growing season.
“The AgroApp service has made it easier to find financing during this difficult time and allowed us to identify banks that offer loans to agricultural enterprises,” said the financial director of an agribusiness in Lviv Oblast in western Ukraine.
“We have already obtained a loan of UAH 20 million ($680,000) and we are having discussions with several other banks. We’re using the money to buy the fuel and fertilizers we need to sow wheat, barley, and sunflower this year.”
Preparing for Ukraine’s post-war recovery
Ukrainian agriculture has shown itself to be resilient in the face of Russia’s aggression, with the country’s farmers braving wartime conditions to grow food for their fellow citizens and for the global market. Food production will remain a top priority as Ukraine looks toward the postwar recovery. USAID and other international donors will play an important role supporting the recovery and helping Ukraine restore its position as a global leader in food exports.
USAID is committed to supporting Ukraine, both during the Kremlin’s invasion and in the long-term as the country recovers from the war. Putin’s aggression will not stop the Ukrainian people from securing an independent, democratic, and prosperous future.
About the Authors
Joseph Larsen is a Senior Communications Advisor with the USAID Mission in Ukraine. Anna Bogdanova is a Project Management Specialist with the USAID Mission in Ukraine specializing in agriculture.
