As of April 22, Ukrainian farmers submitted 228 applications to participate in the state program for compensating the cost of agricultural land demining, of which 191 were rejected. To improve the situation and assist with application submission, the Ministry of Economy, together with the Humanitarian Demining Center and UNDP in Ukraine, launched an information campaign for farmers, according to the Ministry of Economy's website.
The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine presented a website for farmers who want to participate in the state program for compensating the cost of agricultural land demining. All key information is collected in one place, allowing farmers to check in a few steps whether they meet the program's conditions, as well as detailed instructions on how to apply through the State Agrarian Register. The launch of the website is the first stage of an information campaign aimed at increasing the number of farmers participating in the program and the quality of submitted documents.
"The government is interested in returning land affected by the war to use as soon as possible. For the second year in a row, 3 billion hryvnias have been allocated to the state program for clearing agricultural land. Currently, we are seeing a somewhat worse dynamic of activity than last year. We understand that this is partly due to the current active sowing campaign season. Farmers are in the fields, and they currently have other important priorities. But we do not want to just observe, but act preventively. The goal of our information campaign is to reach every farmer working in the frontline regions so that they know about the program and what they need to do to be able to demine their land at the state's expense and work safely on their land," noted Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine.
Benjamin Lark, Head of the UNDP Mine Action Programme in Ukraine, noted that UNDP is proud to support this important initiative, which directly addresses the devastating impact of explosive ordnance on Ukraine's agricultural sector.
"Through cooperation with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Humanitarian Demining Center, and financial support from the Republic of Korea, we strive to provide farmers with the knowledge and resources necessary to safely cultivate their land, which will contribute to the country's recovery and resilience," he added.
The safety of farmers remains a priority for the state. Demining fields not only returns land to use but also saves the lives of people working in these territories. According to the IMSMA information system, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 200 people have been injured by the detonation of explosive remnants of war during field work. There have been fatalities and damaged equipment. This underscores the critical importance of professional clearing of territories before the start of seasonal work.
In total, 15 auctions were held this year for the procurement of agricultural land demining services worth UAH 299.1 million with a total area of 4,413.9 hectares. In comparison, last year, 50 out of 195 applications were approved for a total area of over 9.6 thousand hectares, and agreements were concluded for UAH 536.6 million.
"The most common reason for rejecting farmers is the failure to conduct a non-technical survey on the land plots where they work. There were 102 such applications this year. That is why this year the Humanitarian Demining Center, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and local military administrations, is working to involve operators to conduct non-technical surveys on farmland in frontline oblasts. This can be done both with donor funds and at the state's expense, or by paying for such work yourself," said Volodymyr Baida, Director of the Humanitarian Demining Center.
The information campaign also includes meetings with farmers in frontline regions and the distribution of information booklets about the program directly in communities affected by the war.
The communication campaign to promote the state program for compensating the cost of agricultural land demining was developed by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the national platform Demine Ukraine, and the Humanitarian Demining Center with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine and funding from the Republic of Korea.
Press Service of the Association of Milk Producers Based on materials from the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine
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