“No corruption returns”, “Fertilizers quotas – robbery of agrarians”, “No for quotas! Available fertilizers for agrarians” – with these mottoes agrarians have protested today near the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the President’s Office. They demanded not to introduce quotas for nitrogen fertilizers import to Ukraine. Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine decided to introduce the law. They say it should stimulate domestic chemical industry development. But, agrarians are against such a decision. Because the main fertilizers producers in Ukraine are factories from the company group “OstChem” (the owner is Dmytro Firtash). Limitation of fertilizers import from other countries can make oligarch’s monopoly of nitrogen fertilizers market in Ukraine, and as a result – higher prices.The UAC Chairman Andriy Dykun pays attention that today, when there is a pandemic situation, the Government obliged agrarians to protest near the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the President’s Office, because they don’t want to hear them.

“In time of quarantine, agrarians are obliged to make protest campaigns. Minister for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine should be ashamed. Dear officials, I speak to you on behalf of all Ukrainian agrarians and members of the public: we are not going to give you a chance for monopoly introduction. If someone doesn’t understand what monopoly means – I can explain. Today monopoly for electricity is active. Who get our payment for it? Oligarchs, who sell it abroad chipper than for us. Who get our payment for gas? Oligarchs. Who will get our payment for fertilizers? Oligarchs! We are here not to stand for our interests. We are here to fight against the oligarchs. If oligarchs disappear from our country, it will be different.” -  the Chairman mentions.The member of the UAC board agrarian Oleh Levinskiy payed attention that agrarians were not against domestic producer. They only need competitive prices, good quality and the main thing – monopoly and abuse absence.

“We are not against domestic fertilizers producer. All agrarians have already invested in their business, equipment, methods of work and we compete with each other. So, I think, today we need to make competitive production for fertilizers producers. I bought 60% foreign proceeding fertilizers, because they are more qualitative. I am ready to buy domestic fertilizers, but I need them to be the same quality. I don’t want to pay more.” – Oleh Levinskiy says. Ihor Chumak (the UAC member) mentions that today agrarians protest not only against quotas introduction. Nowadays – it’s a negative precedent the existence of which cannot be allowed.

“We can see that spheres of influence and incomes are divided between particular people. That is why they don’t want to support the industry or producers. They want to fill the bill of their own. Agricultural industry brings a great income to our country: taxes, currency earnings, also our country prestige in the world. But the only thing we can see here is oligarchs and their operating procedures.” – Ihor Chumak mentions.

The protest campaign participants gave the statement to the President’s Office, which was signed by almost 10 principal associations. They demand from Volodymyr Zelensliy to take the situation under his own control, to ensure objective and just considering of the question about quotas introduction importance, to step up the work of all state institutions to enforce a decision of the Antimonopoly committee of Ukraine about chemical industry demonopolization by means of compulsory separation of the company group “OstChem”.

Looking back, last week we got to know that according to the Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade Translation (ICITT) Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine decided to introduce quotas for nitrogen fertilizers import to Ukraine. We are talking about import from partner countries – EU countries, Arabian Gulf countries, North Africa countries, also from Turkey, Kazakhstan, Byelorussia, Georgia, China, USA. Agrarians were against such a decision and made a preventive protest campaign at the main country autobahns at seven regions.  

Agricultural producers and experts mention: quotas introduction for fertilizers import to Ukraine - it means to take money from agrarians’ pockets and put them into oligarchs’ one. Antimonopoly committee adjudged that the company group “OstChem” was a monopolist at the nitrogen fertilizers market and it misused their monopoly position. That is why fertilizers prices were too high.