When the full-scale invasion began, fighting was taking place less than a kilometer from the “Victoria” farm in Mykolaiv region. Despite a shortage of fuel for its own needs, threats to personal safety, and the occupation of the community, the head of the farm, Viktoriia, decided to help the military. The farm gave everything it had: delivering water to positions, fueling vehicles of defenders, and supporting one another and the local community.

Until 2022, it was a family-run agricultural enterprise with a 30-year history: cultivating grain crops on more than 1,500 hectares of land, operating modern machinery, and having plans for further development. But a few minutes of shelling changed everything.

Explosions damaged warehouses, roofs were turned into sieves, and the weighing complex suffered serious destruction. More than 2,200 square meters of roofing were destroyed. It became impossible to store the harvest, and it had to be sold urgently at almost no value. At that time, there was neither physical access nor financial resources to repair the property.

The farm continues to operate: 20 employees go out to the fields every day, maintain machinery in working condition, and have repaired damaged roofs with their own hands. However, alongside recovery efforts, legal issues also arose that required professional support.

To resolve them, Viktoriia contacted the legal advisory hotline of the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC), which operates in partnership with Mercy Corps and provides legal and accounting consultations to agricultural producers in affected regions.

One of the issues concerned a land plot cultivated by the farm: the lease agreement had expired, but formally the lease right had not been terminated. The situation is complicated by the fact that the landowner has long been residing in the Russian Federation, making it practically impossible to pay rent. The farmer turned to UAC experts to understand how to act correctly in such a situation and how to account for this land plot.

Another issue concerned the sale of a land plot used by the farm. The local council had prepared a draft decision, but during its review doubts arose regarding the correctness of the document. Therefore, Viktoriia asked UAC lawyers to review it and provide a professional assessment.

According to the farmer, the consultation from UAC experts became real support for the enterprise.

“The speed of the consultation impressed us the most — we did not even expect such оперативність. Each explanation includes references to legal acts, and the response is clear, comprehensive, and constructive. Such support gives us the strength to keep working, because it is very important to know that there is someone to turn to in such a difficult time,” says the owner of the “Victoria” farm.

Reminder:

To receive a consultation, please submit your request via the form: https://forms.gle/v56UzTAsrD9Zrx998

For additional inquiries, please contact the legal advisory hotline: +38 067 522-03-43

About Mercy Corps:

Mercy Corps is an international humanitarian organization operating in more than 40 countries worldwide, providing assistance to people affected by disasters, wars, poverty, and the consequences of climate change.