The Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC) has opened a legal advice hotline to provide legal and accounting advice to agricultural producers from affected regions in partnership with the international humanitarian organization MERCY CORPS.

The project plans to provide support to at least 2,000 agricultural producers to raise awareness of changes in legislation and market requirements, which will enable them to manage resources more effectively, avoid risks, strengthen the sustainability of farms, and restore rural areas.

What kind of advice can farmers get as part of the project?

The legal advice hotline provides quick, practical, and targeted advice to agricultural producers. UAC experts provide free explanations on issues related to:

• Tax issues: VAT, single tax, registration of tax invoices, reporting.
• Land issues: registration of plots, changes in intended use, lease, cadastre.
• State support: conditions for participation in programs, deadlines, criteria, application procedure.
• Interaction with authorities: permits, application submission, standard requirements.
• Work with registers:  State Register of Real Rights to Immovable Property, cadastre, register of aid recipients (technical advice without administration).
• Current business operations: agreements, contracts, counterparties, typical risks.
• Other issues related to the economic activities of farmers.

What issues are not covered by the free legal advice hotline?

Free consultations do not include requests that require the preparation of individual legal documents or complex legal decisions, in particular:

• preparation of agreements, applications, complaints, lawsuits, and other procedural documents;
• complex individual legal positions, legal opinions;
• representation in courts and government agencies;
• communication with government agencies on behalf of the enterprise.

Who is the legal advice hotline aimed at?

The project covers the entire territory of Ukraine, with a focus on the regions most affected by the war: Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Odesa, Kyiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad regions. We especially invite the following to contact us:

• small/medium-sized agricultural producers;
• farms affected by occupation, destruction, or mining;
• enterprises that have difficulties with documents, registries, or access to state support;
• accountants, lawyers, and farm managers who need quick clarification on their work.

How to get advice:

Submit your request electronically at: https://forms.gle/v56UzTAsrD9Zrx998

For further questions, please call the legal advice hotline: +38 067 522-03-43

For complaints and suggestions regarding the work of the legal advice hotline: uac_feedback@uacouncil.org

For reference:

MERCY CORPS is an international humanitarian organization that works in more than 40 countries around the world and provides assistance to people suffering from disasters, wars, poverty, and the effects of climate change.