State Mine Action Compensation Program: More than 2,000 hectares of agricultural land returned to farmers
More than 2,000 hectares of agricultural land have been returned to use by mine action operators since the launch of the State Mine Action Compensation Program. In particular, in May, six contracts totaling almost UAH 35 million were completed. These are six plots with a total area of 626.7 hectares: three in Mykolaiv region, two in Kharkiv region, and one in Kyiv region.
"It is especially valuable for me that we are returning to use such plots as those in the Shevchenkivska community in Kharkiv region. These 86 hectares were the first to be put up for auction by the Humanitarian Demining Center last fall and the first contract was signed with an operator. For more than six months of work, sappers have removed 64 explosive items: unguided aircraft missiles, artillery shells, mortar shells, and unexploded cluster munitions. It was actually a killing field, and now this area will be sown with crops. And it is significant that farmers who have cleared part of their land under the program submit other potentially contaminated fields for demining because they see that the mechanism works," said Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Ihor Bezkaravaynyi.
In total, 19 contracts have been fulfilled and 2025 hectares of agricultural land have been cleared since the start of the program. In particular, 1,224 hectares in Kyiv region, 501 hectares in Mykolaiv region, 279 hectares in Kharkiv region, and 21 hectares in Kherson region. The Center for Humanitarian Demining transferred over UAH 107 million to mine action operators for their work.
The state will compensate 100% of the cost of demining agricultural land for agricultural producers who decided to clear their land after April 15, 2024. The land will be demined by a certified mine action operator who meets the specified conditions and offers the lowest price at an auction in the Prozorro system. To make this opportunity known to as many farmers as possible, the Ministry of Economy, together with the Humanitarian Demining Center and UNDP in Ukraine, with the support of the Government of the Republic of Korea, launched a communication campaign. In particular, the website has been launched, where one can find step-by-step instructions on how to participate in the program.