Farmers in southern Ukraine are facing a record drought. According to preliminary estimates, more than 55,000 hectares of crops have been affected. In monetary terms, farmers' losses have exceeded UAH1 billion.

This was announced during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine by Denys Marchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC):

"Farmers have not seen such a drought in the last 10-15 years. The losses are enormous. We are talking about Kherson region and adjacent territories, in particular a part of Mykolaiv region. People have lost their crops, the land is often impossible to cultivate due to mining, and the situation is exacerbated by loan debts. The UAC is initiating an appeal to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agrarian Policy to develop mechanisms to support affected agricultural producers.”

One of the key problems in these regions is the lack of the President's signature on a bill that provides for the suspending of loan payments for farmers from temporarily occupied and frontline territories until the end of the war and for another year after that.

“Bill No. 1214-8, which was given umber 4340-IX after being passed by the Verkhovna Rada in the second reading, urgently needs the President's signature. This law is vital for farmers who have lost their property, land, and crops but still have loan obligations. But the document has been in the President's Office for over two months. The Ukrainian Agri Council receives numerous appeals from farmers asking for the law to be signed as soon as possible,” emphasized Denys Marchuk.

The UAC emphasizes that without prompt intervention by the state, some farms may not survive until the next planting season. The current situation poses a threat to the region's economy and food security.