As part of World Food Day, organised with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Department of Agro-Industrial Development of the Lviv Regional State Administration, farmers from the Lviv region, representatives of local government and authorities, as well as members of the public, discussed the obstacles, opportunities and prospects for the development of the agricultural sector in wartime, rural development, and the sustainable management of water resources in agriculture.
They also discussed issues relating to support for agricultural producers and households, in particular through development and humanitarian aid projects from the FAO and funding from the state and regional budgets.
“The project ‘Comprehensive, competitive and economically sound creation of value chains in agriculture, fisheries and forestry’ aims to provide timely support to agricultural producers who are in urgent need of access to finance. In wartime, these investments are essential to sustain agricultural activities and lay the foundations for sustainable growth. In total, farmers in the Lviv region will receive 27.3 million UAH under the project for the development of aquaculture, vegetable growing and berry farming. A second grant window for farmers is planned to open in November this year,” emphasised Hanna Antoniuk, Head of the FAO Office in Lviv.
“To ensure the stable development of the region’s agricultural sector, support from the authorities is of paramount importance. Lviv Region leads the way in providing financial support to farmers, channelling significant financial resources into this sector. This year, 47.9 million UAH has been allocated from the regional budget to support agriculture, of which 22.4 million UAH has been provided to support the livestock sector in the form of subsidies for the increase in the cow herd. Additionally, the state programme ‘eRobota’ helps to develop horticulture and processing enterprises and promotes the creation of new family farms. “Between January and September 2023, 38 businesses were eligible to receive grants totalling 82.7 million UAH,” noted Tetiana Hetman, Director of the Department of Agricultural and Industrial Development at the Lviv Regional State Administration
During the event, participants had the opportunity to learn about the UN FAO’s humanitarian response programmes, particularly those aimed at vulnerable groups, local communities and households that have taken in internally displaced persons. “The implementation of the FAO Response Programme in Ukraine, in partnership with the Lviv Agrarian Chamber, is aimed at improving food security in the region and communities. Humanitarian aid in the form of animal feed has been provided to 1,006 households, totalling 215 tonnes and amounting to 3.7 million UAH. In addition, around 2,150 households in the Lviv region received vouchers to purchase small agricultural equipment and materials for home repairs. The total value of the vouchers is 25.8 million UAH,” said Ihor Vuytsyk, Chairman of the Lviv Agrarian Chamber.
Farmers also had the opportunity to ask questions of the conference speakers regarding FAO support and to share their personal experiences of participating in the grant programme.
