Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has allocated $176.7 million to support Ukraine’s agricultural sector, with priorities including demining and training for agribusiness development, according to Shakhnoza Muminova, head of the FAO office in Ukraine.
“From 2022 to the present, FAO, together with its partners, has allocated $176.7 million to support approximately 300,000 families in rural areas and 17,000 farmers,” she told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on the sidelines of the Agro Ukraine Summit on Wednesday.
According to Muminova, one of the most underfunded yet most critical areas remains the humanitarian demining of agricultural land.
“First and foremost, mine action requires significant funding because it is expensive. Ukraine currently has the world’s largest area of contaminated agricultural land. If this sector is underfunded, demining could drag on for several decades. And we want to return the land to production as soon as possible,” she noted.
The head of the FAO office reported that currently 133,000 square kilometers of Ukraine’s territory require surveying and are at risk of being contaminated with explosive ordnance.
According to her, the FAO’s work in Ukraine focuses on several key areas: supporting families and farmers in rural areas, as well as providing technical support to the government. Particular attention is being paid to surveying potentially contaminated areas and providing vouchers to resume agricultural activities on cleared plots.
Muminova also highlighted the lack of funding for training and agribusiness development programs.
“The Ukrainian agricultural sector is currently experiencing a significant exodus of people due to the hostilities. Many people are leaving, and the agricultural sector is suffering greatly as a result. Therefore, training remains one of the key areas in need of support,” she explained.
According to the FAO representative, the organization plans to provide support to an additional 240,000 households and farmers between 2026 and 2028. To implement this plan, the FAO needs to raise $193 million, but the initiative remains underfunded at this time.
“What strikes me most is that people do not want to leave their homeland, even if it is dangerous,” Muminova added.
