In the current situation, farmers lack funds to pay for demining even if the government covers 80% of the cost, as provided for by the state programme compensating expenses for humanitarian demining of agricultural lands.
Andrey Volik, Director of Security, Regime-Secret Work, and Demining at the company NIBULON, discussed this during the Agro Ukraine Summit.
"If we consider demining with machinery, the average cost is $5.5 thousand per hectare, which is an unaffordable amount for farmers. Therefore, the only solution we see is to attract donors and fully pay for the work of demining companies," notes Andrey Volik.
In his opinion, the government programme should also include a condition for receiving compensation for demining for companies that have their own humanitarian demining service and independently clear their lands of mines.
Furthermore, there is currently a pressing issue of mobilization because within a month, 20% of sappers have been mobilized in the NIBULON Limited Liability Company. Therefore, the company emphasizes that employees engaged in humanitarian demining should be reserved.
