The UN has offered grants up to $25,000 for small Ukrainian farmers: Here's how to get them

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has announced the commencement of the second cycle of the grant program for Ukrainian farmers, as reported by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine..

Small producers from four western regions – Lviv, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi oblasts – can participate in the program. These include producers of geographical brands like Zakarpattia honey, Hutsul sheep and cow cheese.

Applications are accepted through the State Agrarian Registry until January 31, 2024.

Producers will be required to contribute a certain percentage of the total expenses, and the grant recipient's contribution amount will vary depending on the chosen value-added chain. Grants will be disbursed in Ukrainian hryvnia at UN exchange rates in the following amounts:

→ Up to 370,000 UAH ($10,000) for small agricultural producers;
→ Up to 925,000 UAH ($25,000) for agricultural micro and small enterprises, agricultural cooperatives, and associations of producers of products with geographical indications.

During the first cycle of the program in 2023, the approval rate for applications was approximately 65%. A total of 138 applications were selected out of 212 submitted to the State Agrarian Registry.

The overall amount of grant support was $1.73 million. The most popular investments included the purchase of tractors, solar panels, specialized production and processing equipment for each value chain.