A survey conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) shows that 25 percent of the Ukrainian rural population engaged in agriculture would have ceased or interrupted their activities due to the consequences of the war.
The survey, conducted nationwide with 5,200 respondents, seeks to understand the current agricultural and livelihood situation, particularly in the run-up to winter.
The regions most dependent on the agricultural sector such as Sumi region, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, Chernobyl and Mikolaiv reported higher figures, with more than 40 percent of rural households affected.
«The Ukrainian agricultural sector is an important source of livelihood for the approximately 13 million people living in rural areas. While almost two-thirds of agricultural production is accounted for by enterprises, rural households produce about 32 percent,» said FAO’s head in Ukraine, Pierre Vauthier.
The report covers households engaged mainly in home-based agriculture and small-scale production. «Although they do not officially define themselves as farmers, they play a key role in ensuring the food security, income and livelihoods of the rural population, as they supply their own food consumption and sell products locally, thus contributing to local supply chains,» said assessment coordinator Lavinia Antonaci.
The increase in agricultural production costs has also been felt throughout the country, both in crops, in 72 percent of households, and in livestock, 64 percent of households.
In terms of food expenditure, more than half of the rural households interviewed have reported spending more than 50 percent of their resources on food between June and September 2022. In regions close to the combat line, almost one in five respondents reported spending up to 75 percent, while at the national level the figure is around 14 percent.
According to the survey, nearly 60 percent of households have adopted negative coping mechanisms, such as spending savings, borrowing money, selling productive assets, reducing health care expenditures, or reducing the use of fertilizers, pesticides, animal feed and veterinary care.
From now on, the main challenges facing agricultural and livestock activity in Ukraine focus on the shortage of profits, limited access to fertilizers, pesticides, fuel or electricity for equipment and animal feed.
The survey warns that the survival of rural areas and their productive capacities may be further eroded in the coming months, especially due to the winter season and possible internal migration to these regions.
