Ukrainian agrarians have already harvested almost 16.6 million tonnes of grain, most of it in Mykolaiv and Odessa regions. This was announced by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during a CMU meeting on August 8.

"Thanks to the dedication of Ukrainian farmers, we are harvesting the second wartime harvest. Behind these figures of millions of tonnes of grain is the daily hard work of tens of thousands of people who often risk their lives," the Head of Government stressed.

The Prime Minister noted that the synergy between business and the state gave a clear understanding that there would be enough food to both satisfy domestic needs of Ukraine and to export.

"Ukraine will continue to be one of the key guarantors of global food security. In this, we count on the solidarity of our partners. First, we need more air defence to better protect our ports, especially the Danube port cluster. Secondly, we need sustainable land logistics routes with high capacity. Every tonne of grain exported makes Ukraine and the free world stronger," said Denys Shmyhal.

That is why, according to him, support for farmers is and will remain a priority for the Government. First of all, it concerns access to concessional loans and grants. According to the Prime Minister, in January-July, the state issued UAH 27.6 billion in loans under the 5-7-9 programme. In total, 9,500 agricultural enterprises in Ukraine received UAH 45.5 billion in bank loans under all loan programmes. Mostly in Vinnytsia, Odessa and Kyiv regions. Denys Shmyhal stressed that this had allowed many farmers to survive and given them the opportunity to develop further.