Ukraine expands credit and guarantees to sustain agro-exports amid port blockade: Taras Vysotskyi

Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Taras Vysotskyi announced new government measures to sustain the agricultural sector under conditions of blocked maritime logistics and reduced exports.

“There are three government decisions to help the agro-sector with exports and financing during this difficult period. Minimum export prices have been revised to reflect higher alternative logistics costs and keep exports moving. Farmers can now access up to UAH 90 million in loans for working capital, including autumn fieldwork. In addition, UAH 20.8 billion in portfolio guarantees have been allocated under the ‘Affordable Loans at 5-7-9%’ program,” Taras Vysotskyi stated.

Additional credit opportunities were introduced by the National Bank of Ukraine. The collateral ratio for agricultural products was raised from 0.4 to 0.75, nearly doubling financing capacity. Certain lending requirements for the sector — including restructuring and financial performance assessments — have been eased until September 1, 2027.

Since the beginning of the year, farmers have already secured about UAH 100 billion in loans, including UAH 45 billion under the 5-7-9% program. With the new measures, weekly lending volumes are expected to more than double, exceeding UAH 5 billion.

Meanwhile, the blockade of Odesa ports has sharply reduced exports. Between August 1–12, Ukraine exported only 590,000 tonnes of agricultural products — just 30% of the required volume. Even with maximum mobilization of alternative logistics, only about 50% of pre-blockade export capacity can be maintained.

Currently, 40–45% of exports move by rail, another 40–45% through the Danube region, and about 10% by road. If the blockade persists, at least 50% of Ukraine’s export potential — around 30 million tonnes — may not reach global markets.

The Ministry continues to expand alternative logistics routes, broaden farmers’ access to financing, and implement measures to safeguard harvests, support autumn sowing, and sustain Ukraine’s agricultural exports.