In Ukraine, hundreds of agricultural enterprises remain in the temporarily occupied territories, having lost the ability to conduct business but having to meet their loan obligations despite force majeure.

Farmers who have lost access to their farms due to the occupation, expect President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sign Law No. 12148 as soon as possible, which provides for the suspending of loan accruals and payments for enterprises from the temporarily occupied and frontline territories. The law has already been adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the second reading.

A member of the UAC from Zaporizhzhia region lost his farm in 2022. At the outbreak of the war, the company was one of the largest in the region, cultivating about 2,000 hectares of land, had full warehouses and equipment, but everything remained in the occupied territory. The farmer says:

"I was a successful entrepreneur in 2021, the farm had a high financial capacity, the warehouses were filled with products that could easily cover all loans. But in 2022, I was left with nothing. Russian troops occupied the territory, looted the warehouses, and destroyed 800 tons of sunflower at the elevator. I cannot start a new business. Now the banks are demanding more than UAH 11 million, and they don't care that the farm is under occupation, they continue to charge interest on loans taken out before the war. One of the banks has already filed a lawsuit. They are just destroying me."

Another UAC participant, Viktor Polkov, of Rozdolne LLC from Kherson region, also found himself in a similar situation. The farm cultivated 1,5000 hectares of land, had a stable development and took out a loan from Alliance Bank in November 2021 for UAH 10.5 million.

"In 2022, we lost everything - the enterprise, the land, the opportunity to work. The Russians are in full control of the farm. The bank sued and ruled to collect the debt, including interest. Unfortunately, for the courts, “there is no war in Ukraine,” and there is no force majeure either. I have already been entered in the register of debtors, there is a court decision and enforcement action. I have lost more than the loan is worth, but the state does not protect us. We need a law that will stop the mockery of robbed entrepreneurs," emphasized Viktor Polkov.

Draft Law No. 12148 is vital for manufacturers who have lost access to their assets. Thanks to the adoption of this law, banks will not be able to charge interest and enforce debts from affected farmers until the end of the war and a year after.

The adoption of the draft law became possible due to the effective and systematic work of the UAC experts.

The UAC urges the President of Ukraine not to delay the signing of the document, because every day means new fines and court decisions for farmers who cannot be blamed for losing access to their farms.