The Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC) has appealed to Ukraine’s Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, Oleksii Sobolev, urging a review of the current state support mechanism for farmers operating in frontline regions.

The UAC emphasizes that the existing compensation model, which provides reimbursement only for the purchase of new Ukrainian-made agricultural machinery, does not reflect the realities of farming near active combat zones.

"Such state support criteria are completely unsuitable for the vast majority of agricultural producers operating in frontline territories," the appeal states.

Farmers explain that under conditions of constant shelling and a high risk of equipment loss or damage, investing in new machinery is economically unjustifiable.

"In order to cultivate agricultural land, they are forced to operate under the daily risk of losing or having their machinery damaged as a result of enemy attacks. This makes the purchase and use of new equipment impractical and a waste of resources," the UAC notes.

Instead, under such conditions, agricultural producers prefer less expensive used machinery, the loss of which is far less critical. In many cases, purchasing several units of used equipment is more practical than investing in a single new machine. A similar approach is used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine when procuring pickup trucks and other vehicles intended for operation near the frontline.

At the same time, the cost of used machinery is currently not eligible for state compensation, significantly reducing the effectiveness of support available to farms operating in frontline areas.

The UAC is calling on the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to introduce a separate program providing partial compensation for the purchase of used machinery by enterprises operating in high-risk zones.

Farmers also stress that such support should apply to both Ukrainian-made and foreign-manufactured equipment.

"In view of the above, we ask you to initiate a state support program for agricultural producers operating in frontline territories through partial compensation for the purchase of used agricultural machinery, including foreign-made equipment," the appeal concludes.