‘Agricultural Sector 2026–2027: A Strategy for Survival’: Key Challenges and Solutions from the 6th Agri-Policy Forum

On 12 November 2026, the 6th Agri-Policy Forum ‘Agricultural Sector 2026–2027: A Strategy for Survival’ took place in Kyiv, to mark Agricultural Workers’ Day. The event was organised by the All-Ukrainian Farmers’ Congress (VKF) in partnership with the international humanitarian organisation Prosper Global and in collaboration with the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities (VAG).

This year, the forum was held in a hybrid format: key speakers were in the studio, whilst rural communities from various regions brought together farmers and joined online; the broadcast was also available via a new service — ‘The Farmer’s Digital Office’.

The lifeblood of the industry — the blocked sea

The discussion was attended by the First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko, the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Taras Vysotskyi, Prosper Global’s lead agricultural adviser in Ukraine Ruslan Markov, as well as hundreds of farmers and community representatives. The event was moderated by the Chair of the Ukrainian Farmers’ Confederation and Executive Director of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Association, Ivan Slobodyanik.

“The key issues for farmers today are clear: exports, fuel prices and loan refinancing. It is also important to discuss the European Union’s requirements for agricultural produce,” said Ivan Slobodyanik, outlining the agenda.

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Oleksandr Korniienko, emphasised that, following the loss of a significant part of the metallurgical sector, it was the agricultural sector that had become the key sector for generating revenue for the state budget and a source of foreign exchange earnings:

“Sea freight is the only thing that can save the sector right now. Without exports, the risks are increasing day by day and week by week, and the proportion of those willing to leave their maize in the fields is rising at a very rapid rate. We must deal with this situation as quickly as possible”.

According to him, diplomatic efforts to unblock the Black Sea corridor are continuing, with the participation of Turkey and Arab countries. He also gave assurances that support for the livestock and dairy sectors would be included in the second reading of the 2027 state budget, and that the government had already allocated approximately 1.5 billion hryvnias through the State Fund for Regional Development to projects, predominantly in rural communities.

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy’s position: a review of crop rotation, loans and 99 billion hryvnias to ensure survival

During an open dialogue with farmers, Minister Taras Vysotskyi outlined the current state of affairs in the sector and the government’s key measures:

Sales crisis and carryover stocks: the Black Sea ports have been closed for four months now, and there is currently no clear timeline for their reopening. According to the minister’s estimates, there are around 60 million tonnes of grain available for sale in the country, whilst it is physically possible to sell only 30 million tonnes. Consequently, carryover stocks as at 1 July 2027 could reach a record high of 30 million tonnes. The Minister advises farmers to sell their produce wherever possible to at least break even, and in loss-making situations to assess each crop individually.

Crop rotation adjustments and international compensation: The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food is calling for a review of the 2027 sowing plans to reduce gross production (primarily of maize). The area under winter wheat has already been reduced by 12 per cent. At the same time, the ministry is finalising an appeal to international donors for compensation to farmers for fixed costs (land rent, taxes, minimum wages) at a rate of up to 15,000 UAH (around €300) per hectare. The total requirement amounts to approximately 99 billion UAH.

Interest-free loans: 5-year interest-free loans of up to 1 million UAH have been identified as the most effective financial instrument (200 million UAH has been allocated for them this year). The government has backed a parliamentary amendment to increase funding for the programme to 1 billion UAH in 2027 and is considering raising the lending limit per farm to 2 million UAH.

Staff retention: the criteria for determining criticality for agricultural enterprises (with 200 hectares under cultivation and an annual income of 20 million UAH) have been provisionally agreed at the coordination centre. Following final verification early next week, the Ministry will publish a step-by-step guide to submitting applications.

Fuel and livestock farming: the share of fuel in the cost of agricultural production has risen from 5–7 per cent to 23–24 per cent. There will be no separate subsidies for fuel, but the government guarantees its physical availability. Subsidy payments for cows (to farms with between 3 and 100 head) totalling over 600 million hryvnias are already held by the Treasury, and next week a new round of applications will open for a further 200 million hryvnias.

European integration: demands only in exchange for support

The agricultural (fifth) negotiation cluster with the EU is expected to be launched in December, with substantive negotiations set to begin in January 2027. The Minister gave assurances that the relevant industry associations would be involved in the assessment of each draft bill:

“If there are additional requirements, then standard European practice is to provide additional support. If there is no support, there are transition periods. It is simply impossible to comply with everything without the necessary resources,” emphasised Taras Vysotskyi.

New support schemes and the ‘Farmer’s Digital Office’

Ruslan Markov, Senior Agricultural Adviser at Prosper Global in Ukraine , spoke about the expansion of support programmes funded by the Howard Buffett Foundation, to which, at the request of local communities, components have been added to assist medium-sized farms, women farmers and the provision of temporary grain storage facilities (silos).

In addition, the forum saw the first official announcement of a pilot scheme to establish voluntary fire brigades based at farms in the frontline Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, where the problem of fires caused by shelling is particularly acute.

To round off the forum, the chairman of the VKF, Ivan Slobodyanik, announced the launch of a campaign to collect real-life case studies from farmers regarding refusals of bank loans, with a view to a subsequent public review with bank executives and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, and also officially presented ‘The Farmer’s Digital Office’ — a new online platform for the coordination and cooperation of farmers.

For information: The event was held as part of the Programme to Support Agriculture in Ukraine, which is being implemented by the All-Ukrainian Farmers’ Congress in partnership with Prosper Global and the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities. The views expressed by participants during the forum do not necessarily reflect the official position of Prosper Global.

Read more news on GreenPost.