A large-scale charity project of the Ukrainian Agri Council was launched under the slogan “Let's save the lives of Ukrainians!” is in mid-March. The purpose of the project is to provide strong assistance to medical institutions, local self-government bodies, ordinary citizens in this extremely difficult time to confront the coronavirus pandemic and prevent the spread of the disease throughout the country.

How local farmers helped doctors and villagers, the edition “Hryvnia” tells.

As it turned out, Ukraine was not ready for such a fight. Particularly vulnerable was the condition of medical facilities and their equipment with the necessary facilities. Small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises of Kherson region, members of the UAC, joined the charity movement from the first days. Volodymyr Khvostov, the head of the UAC representative office in the Kherson region, the director of “Agroproduct” LTD, notes that the coronavirus has become a test of humanity and responsibility for many.

“The most terrible virus is human indifference. It is warming to my heart that this extraordinary time has united the members of our community even more. I can confidently say that, practically, all members of the Ukrainian Agri Council in the Kherson region help from the first days by in any possible way. Such cohesion is probably one of the main features of our organization, which brings together agrarians at the call of the heart and conscious beliefs. Together, we are a force and I am pleased that the number of people willing to join our NGO is increasing every day. ” Today, UAC unites 700 agribusinesses working in crop and livestock farming with a total land bank of more than 3.5 million hectares. And the Kherson office of the organization has almost 70 farms that cultivate more than 190 thousand hectares of arable land. Only in March, 5 more agro-enterprises of Kherson region acquired membership in UAC.

"And I am sure that there will be even more of like-minded people in the future," Volodymyr Khvostov said.

UACmembers in the Kherson region have joined forces to help those in need. Considerable efforts are being made and formed for city, district hospitals, Primary Care Centers, FAPs of the party, which are provided with protective masks, medical gowns, hats, gloves, antiseptics and more.

All this is quickly transferred to medical institutions. So, within the framework of the charity campaign "Let's Save the Lives of Ukrainians!", “Victoria-Askaniya” Farm manager Vitaliy Shtanko provided the doctors of the Askania-Nova hospital with reusable protective suits, and also purchased disinfectants, protective masks and respirators. Director of “Agroproduct” LTD Volodymyr Khvostov, at the request of physicians, purchased about 300 liters of liquid antiseptic and liquid remedies for Kherson City Clinical Hospital named after E. Karabelesh, Chaplinka and Genichesk District Hospitals and Novotroitsky Center for Primary Care workers were provided with protective overalls,  medical masks, hats, gloves, quick tests, 125 safety screens and more.

More than 13 agricultural enterprises have united under the leadership of one of the first members of the UAC, a well-known agrarian in Kherson region, the head of the enterprise "Professional-KS" Mykola Konovalenko and transferred more than 250 thousand hryvnias to the charity fund of the Velykopetsk district hospital. In addition, “Professional-KS” LLC additionally provided funds in the amount of UAH 30 thousand for the Velykopoletsk District Hospital and also purchased an oxygen concentrator.

Head of the farm "Ruslan" Kuzma Uzbek supported the charity movement of fellow countrymen by buying another oxygen concentrator and several electronic contactless thermometers for the hospital of the Velikolepetsky district. More than 20 thousand hryvnias for the needs of the Novotroitsky Center for Primary Health Care were transferred by “Agrofirm” Myr”” POSP, headed by Ivan Dotsenko ; all the needy and people of retirement age in those settlements where the farm cultivates land are systematically provided with protective masks and antiseptics. 30,000 UAH was transferred to the needs of the Ivanovo district hospital by “Yuzhne” PSP, headed by Anatoliy Tyndiuk. Personal aids, antiseptics, financial aid were provided to Holopristansky district hospital and Center of primary medical care of the same area by local farmers Agrarian Sergey Rybalko, chairman of “Adelaide” farm, and Alexander Sinenko, chairman of "A. Sinenko" PE. And Vadim and Vladislav Sklyar, heads of the “Fokus” farm, purchased and handed over the washing machine to Golopristansky district hospital.

Over 50 thousand hryvnias for the purchase of the device of artificial ventilation of the lungs for the Chaplinka district hospital were transferred by the heads of LLC "Sina" Sergiy and Anatoly Nazarchuk. In addition, electronic contactless thermometers, medical gowns, and 2000 medical gloves were purchased for the Chaplinka district medical institutions. Also, for the needs of rayon hospitals and centers of primary medical care of the Kherson region considerable funds were transferred from "Otrada-Agro" LLC headed by Igor Rossinsky, "Akant" SFG, headed by Victor Pomaznyuk, "Agrobusiness" LLC - manager Eduard Repilevsky, “Pershe travnya, headed by Serhiy Kosiuk, farmers Vitaliy Sotsenko and Yuriy Maleta, Victor Nagirnoye JSC "Ingulets" and others.

According to the Chairman of the Ukrainian Agri Council Andriy Dykun, after analyzing the experience of other countries that have suffered significant human losses from the coronavirus and in order to avoid peak loads at the hospital and to protect the most vulnerable to the virus, the elderly, lonely, and lonely people to provide food assistance "And since all the participants of the Ukrainian Agri Council are engaged in the cultivation and provision of food, we realized that this is where we can help," - according to the head of the Ukrainian Agri Council Andriy Dykun explained.

1000 grocery kits were taken home by their shareholders from 5 villages of Beryslav district, workers of the agricultural enterprise "Zlato Tavrii" together with the manager Igor Yosypenko. All landlords, 90% of whom are retired, received food. In addition, together with “Ukravit”, this agricultural enterprise provided every shop in these settlements with protective and antiseptic remedies in a total of 150 sets.

In the Velykolexandrivsky district "Borozenske" SVK (head Mykola Medvid) provided 1.3 tons of flour for the formation of product kits, and the company "Agroprodukt, LTD." purchased and delivered food kits to elderly, needy and residents of special needs of the Khaptiv region. And this is not a complete list of support from members of the Ukrainian Agri Council in the Kherson region. Ukraine opposes the spread of the coronavirus infection. It can be overcome only by joint efforts. And, as always, at a difficult time for the country, agrarians unite to put their leverage on the state and compatriots and counter the threat together.

The All-Ukrainian action “Save the lives of Ukrainians!” continues. Medical institutions and residents of the region continue to receive assistance from farmers-members of the UAC in Kherson region.