By KYIV. Dec 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The key problems for the Ukrainian agricultural sector next year will be the provision of electricity due to damage by the Russians to the country’s critical infrastructure, as well as the search for external loans, since Ukraine does not have sufficient financial reserves to support the industry, said Taras Vysotsky, the First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
During the Doing Agribusiness in Ukraine conference organized by the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club association, he noted that the Ukrainian agro-industrial complex in 2023 will definitely face problems in the energy sector due to Russian missile attacks.
"There are initiatives to provide generators from international partners. First of all, they will go to social infrastructure, but soon the turn will reach business (among which they will be distributed through the state agrarian register," Vysotsky specified.
The deputy minister stressed that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Friday, December 9, will consider the issue of transferring the authority to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy to initiate the inclusion of certain agricultural and food industry enterprises in the list of critical infrastructure facilities receiving energy supply on a priority basis. According to Vysotsky, this will provide electricity to enterprises that really need it, and the entire industry will soon be able to cope with the energy crisis provoked by Russia in Ukraine.
He also noted that Ukraine should further develop bioenergy industry.
Vysotsky called the difficulties for farmers in terms of access to financing in 2023 the second challenge for the agro-industrial complex.
