Labour shortage, landmines plague Ukraine’s family farms, warns report

Ukrainian smallholder farmers continue grappling with the impact of the Russian invasion, facing damaged infrastructure, lack of veterinary services and drugs, increased production costs, and landmine contamination, according to a new report from humanitarian charity Mercy Corps.

Based on interviews with producers and processors of fruit and vegetables, poultry, dairy, and honey, the analysis includes household-level, smallholders, medium-scale, and large-scale producers from 8 different oblasts – Ukrainian administrative regions.

Most respondents cited a lack of workers and unreliable electricity as major limitations to their production.

Additionally, dairy, honey, and fruit producers are particularly affected by a drop in domestic demand, as over five million women and children, their main consumers, have left the country since the war began in 2022.

While Mercy Crops acknowledged that the number of respondents, 67, “is not sufficient” to be a representative sample of the population of the oblasts involved, the report provides a clear picture of the agricultural situation in Ukraine, beyond large-scale grain production.

But 150 potential interviewees declined to participate, because they were about to shut their businesses or lose all their income due to their proximity to the frontline.

Demining efforts

Farmers often bear the economic and security costs of demining their own fields, the report adds.

According to Ukrainian authorities, 174,000 km2, representing about a third of the country, requires mine clearance.

The report explains that many farmers turn to uncertified mine clearers, who charge less than their certified counterparts.

“These individuals cannot guarantee the safety of the land they survey, leading to a higher risk of accidents among farmers who employ them,” reads the analysis.

It also emphasises that producers who choose to clear lands themselves face enormous risks, contributing to frequent accidents involving mines and unexploded devices.

Recently Ukrainian legislation allowed companies to buy up to 10,000 hectares to attract corporate investments to finance large-scale demining. But the reports warns about the risk of concentration of land ownership with the exclusion of smallholders from the market.

Beeswax for trench candles

The honey sector mainly comprising small and household-level beekeepers, has experienced significant damage to production facilities.

“Because of the war, the honey industry in Ukraine has shrunk by at least a third, and it will only be saved by the dedication of beekeepers and the fact that 90% of apiaries in our country are private and are spread throughout Ukraine,” said Valeria Kureika, co-founder of beekeeping company Znatnyi Med,  who was surveyed in the research.

Ironically, though honey sales have decreased, the war has increased demand for beeswax, now the top-selling beekeeping product, used to produce trench candles for soldiers.

Conversely, despite the challenges faced by poultry farmers, such as revenue loss, increased costs, and equipment losses, the sector’s “silver lining” is rising demand.

The report attributes this to the population’s reduced purchasing power, making consumers choose poultry over pricier meats like beef and pork.

The EU has seen a sharp surge in poultry meat imports from Ukraine after all trade was fully liberalised in 2022, prompting the EU to set limit to free imports starting July 2024.

Export challenges

Mercy Corps noted that Ukrainian farmers continue to face massive disruption regarding export routes for agricultural goods.

“While some promote a narrative whereby Ukrainian farmers are flooding European markets with cheap goods, the reality of Ukrainian agriculture is far more complex,” reads a press release from the US-based charity.

The report highlights the “largely successful” revitalisation of trade through the Black Sea, after Russia withdrew, in July 2023, from a United Nations-brokered initiative that allowed Ukraine to ship some grain.

Ukraine’s renewed control of the Black Sea and new insurance coverage schemes for exports enabled Kyiv to resume shipping.

As of February 2024, the Ukrainian corridor had transported 23 million tonnes of cargo, two-thirds of which were agricultural products, according to the European Parliament’s research service, surpassing levels achieved under the UN initiative.

[Edited by Angelo Di Mambro and Rajnish Singh]

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