The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have started the implementation of the programme to provide farmers with grain sleeves for temporary storage. The first to receive such sleeves were farmers in Chernihivska oblast, where grain storage facilities were significantly destroyed due to the Russian invasion.

On 27 October, farmers of Chernihivska oblast received 262 sleeves. By the end of the week, another 1000 sleeves will be delivered. Also, farmers will be provided with equipment for loading grain.

"More than 5 million tonnes of grain storage capacity was destroyed. We have done a lot of work with our partners and donors, we plan to receive about 35 000 sleeves for grain storage, which will cover the need for about 7 million tonnes of storage. In addition, there will be programmes from other donors, thanks to which we will cover another part of the storage needs. It is important that a large number of these sleeves and equipment are of Ukrainian production, which in turn supports the local economy in this difficult time," said Markiyan Dmytrasevych, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.

Submission of applications and distribution of sleeves are carried out through the State Agrarian Registry – a digital platform that makes the process as convenient, transparent and fast as possible.

"It is important for the Ministry not only to help farmers, but also to make this assistance as convenient, simple, transparent and as little bureaucratized as possible. For this purpose, the Ministry launched the State Agrarian Registry (SAR). In fact, this is not our know-how, this is the European experience, and we are implementing it together with the European family. Today we see the first result when the digital world turns into the real one, and people receive real assistance," noted Denys Bashlyk, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalization.

He added that soon there will be new programmes through the SAR platform with the support of international donors, including FAO.

Pierre Vauthier, head of the FAO Ukraine office, emphasized that the project is implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, and this cooperation will continue to develop.

"FAO, together with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, will meet the need for grain storage in the amount of more than 6 million tonnes. Such assistance to small farmers and enterprises is important within the preparation for winter season and storage of harvested grain, as well as maintaining and ensuring food security not only in Ukraine, but also in the whole world," said Pierre Vauthier.

The project is implemented jointly by MAPF and FAO, with the financial support of Canada, Japan and the Minderoo Foundation totalling USD 60.5 million.

The main criteria for programme participants:

• land area under official cultivation (owned or leased) is from 100 to 10 000 hectares;
• use the received sleeves exclusively for storage of their own-grown products;
• the cultivated lands must be located in the government-controlled territories of Ukraine;
• self-delivery of grain sleeves from warehouses in their or in the neighboring oblast (from Dnipropetrovska oblast for agricultural producers from Donetska, Luhanska or Zaporizka oblasts, or from Mykolaivska oblast for agricultural producers from Khersonska oblast).

Currently, submission of applications has been extended until October 30.