Agrarians from Odesa, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kirovograd, Khmelnytsk and Cherkasy regions gathered at the main country autobahns because they wanted to declare about their disagreement with the Ministry’s for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine wish to introduce quotas for fertilizers import to Ukraine.

Such limitations can make higher prices for fertilizers and monopoly stronger at the internal market. Also, other countries can introduce the same things in relation to our actions. The case is about import from partner countries – EU countries, Arabian Gulf countries, North Africa countries, also from Turkey, Kazakhstan, Byelorussia, Georgia, China, USA.

“We are totally against the decision! There are no economical or logical reasons to introduce quotas for fertilizers import to Ukraine. Agrarians had the same problem a few years ago – because of the monopoly they had to pay double price. Now, the Government wants to make the same situation and force agrarians to depend on monopolist.” – the UAC Chairman Andriy Dykun mentions.

The main nitrogen fertilizer producer monopolist is a company group “OstChem” (the Chairman is Dmytro Firtash). Last year Antimonopoly committee adjudged that the company group “OstChem” was a monopolist at the nitrogen fertilizers market and it misused their monopoly position. Prices for Ukraine were higher. Formerly, for domestic fertilizers, Ukrainian agrarians had to pay 50% more (sometimes even 100%).

The Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade Translation (ICITT) made an investigation about nitrogen fertilizers import to Ukraine in August 2019. The main initiators of the investigation were companies that were included into the company group “Ostkhem” of Dmytro Firtash and “DniproAzot” of Ihor Kolomoiskiy. As a result, the Government made a decision to introduce quotas for nitrogen fertilizers import to Ukraine and told us that this decision could protect domestic producers.

“The Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine wants to introduce quotas for fertilizers import to Ukraine. This decision will make prices higher. Two years ago we broke a part of this system - companies “OstChem” began to import fertilizers from other countries. We are upset over such a situation and want the President and the Prime Minister to understand us.” – the UAC executive from Odesa region Anatoliy Artemenko mentions.The campaign protest was preventive. If the Government doesn’t understand us, we will stand for our opinion.