Statement by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at Government session

Dear colleagues! Fellow Ukrainians!

We are starting a regular meeting of the Government.

Despite the difficult wartime circumstances, the Ukrainian economy is recovering in key sectors.

Ukrainian farmers have passed the equator of sowing. As of today, 76% of the sown area has been planted with grains and pulses. This is over 4.3 million hectares.

We expect the 2025 harvest to be no less than last year’s.

We will ensure the domestic market and have enough resources to supply food to countries where there is a threat of famine.

It is important that Ukraine’s sea gates on the Black Sea are open, and their security is reliably guaranteed by our Defence Forces. Since its inception, 120 million tonnes of cargo have passed through the Ukrainian sea corridor, of which 76 million tonnes are the goods of our farmers.

Today, agricultural products account for about half of all Ukrainian exports. In 4 months of 2025, Ukraine exported goods worth more than USD 13 billion, of which USD 7.6 billion is the share of agrarians and food producers.

We are working to ensure that the share of processing in agricultural exports is constantly growing. Our goal is to process more than 50% of the harvest.

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Ukrainian farmers actively use the support tools provided by the state.

Since the beginning of the year, 7,400 agricultural enterprises have received loans worth almost UAH 44.5 billion under various programmes.

7,700 farms have received subsidies for livestock development. The state has attracted more than UAH 390 million of grant funds from the World Bank to pay the next tranche under the relevant programme.

Clearing agricultural land of russian mines also adds to the resilience of the agricultural sector.

Under the mine clearance compensation programme, farmers have brought almost 1,400 hectares of land under cultivation.

In total, more than 35,000 square kilometres have been returned to use thanks to the work of deminers.

We are constantly increasing our demining capabilities.

As part of the comprehensive Made in Ukraine programme, we also pay compensation to agricultural producers who buy Ukrainian machinery.

Last year, farmers purchased 5,300 units of machinery. We expect the demand to be even higher this year. In this way, we are simultaneously developing the Ukrainian industry and modernising farms.

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Access to affordable loans for small and medium-sized businesses is another critical element of state support.

Today, we are making important decisions to make lending more accessible.

The first decision is to secure up to EUR 20 million from the European Investment Bank. The funds will be used to support medium- and long-term loans for Ukrainian businesses through state-owned Privatbank.

In the second decision, we will raise up to EUR 15 million through the European Investment Bank for lending to small and medium-sized businesses through the state-owned Ukreximbank.

In this way, we provide our entrepreneurs with resources for development, investment, and growth.

In addition to concessional loans, government grants remain an important element of entrepreneurship development.

Under the eRobota programme, more than 25,000 microgrants have been issued for business development. This will generate more than 46,000 jobs for the economy.

About 1,600 grants will go to veterans and their families. We expect the share of veteran-owned businesses to grow steadily.

I thank Ukrainian businesses for their resilience and activity.

I thank everyone who works, everyone who treats, teaches and rescues.

I am grateful to our defenders for their steadfastness.

Together we will stand and rebuild!

Thank you for your attention!

Glory to Ukraine!