On Friday, March 3, at 11:00 a.m., the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Sowing campaign 2023 is in danger of failure."

Participants include Maria Didukh, Director of the Ukrainian Agrarian Forum, Denys Marchuk, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Agri Council, Roman Slasten, Director of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club, Valeriy Martyshko, Director of the Rodyna-2007 farm (the list of participants might be updated).

Agrarians are concerned about the delay in extending the Affordable loan  5-7-9% program for 2023, which allows the agricultural sector to continue its operations: purchase seeds, fertilizers, fuel to prepare for sowing and harvesting, pay salaries to employees, and restore farms destroyed by the occupiers.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that in 2023 the Affordable loan 5-7-9% program would be continued. However, no decision has been made so far.

Suspending the program means that farmers would have to repay last year's loans, which amounted to about UAH 38 billion. And this is before the start of the most difficult sowing campaign since independence, which requires an additional UAH 40 billion. At the same time, there are high expectations for the agricultural sector to ensure food security in Ukraine and the world.

Currently, agricultural producers have already faced the bank demand  to repay loans, because there are no signals from the government. This "credit" will lead to the bankruptcy of agricultural enterprises. The 2023 planting season is on the verge of failure.

If the Affordable Loans 5-7-9 program is not extended in the coming days, the spring sowing season will be disrupted. Lack of support in the most important sector during the war will lead to a reduction of agricultural production.

The business expects the government not only to extend the current lending program, but also to launch new loans for further work, as the agricultural sector is perhaps the only industry that has continued to operate during the war and support the national economy, creating demand in related industries and providing jobs in rural areas.

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