Many Ukrainian farmers who fled Russian occupation in 2022 are now trying to rebuild their businesses in frontline areas. In addition to the immediate consequences of the war, they face problems that require legislative regulation, reports 24 Kanal, citing agricultural expert Denys Marchuk, deputy head of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council.
Farmers from the temporarily occupied territories work under heightened risk: enemy shelling destroys machinery and endangers lives. Added to this are difficulties with old loans and a lack of arable land. According to Marchuk, the farmers lost their businesses during the occupation because Russia “nationalized” them and resold them multiple times. Nevertheless, they remained liable as guarantors for loans taken out before the full-scale invasion.
An organization founded by the Ukrainian Agrarian Council, the “Association for the Revival of the Agricultural Sector of Ukraine,” offers legal support to affected farmers. It advocates for legislative initiatives to help them. A passed law actually prohibits the foreclosure of loans taken out before the war. But Marchuk complains that banks often ignore the law and continue to exert pressure. “They catch up with the farmers and seize cars or apartments if available,” the expert said.
Source: 24tv.ua
