The Government has approved the procedure for compensating farmers for humanitarian demining of agricultural lands. The relevant resolution, developed by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, has been adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine at today’s meeting.

“Today’s decision of the Government will enable farmers to enter into contracts with both state and private mine action operators for clearing agricultural land and receive compensation from the state budget already this spring. This is a powerful step towards the launch of the humanitarian demining market. We hope that today’s decision will help increase the number of mine action operators in the market, as well as strengthen the capacity of manufacturers of demining equipment. It is especially important for us to promote the development of Ukrainian manufacturers. Accelerating the demining of agricultural lands is an important step towards business being able to resume work in the de-occupied territories,” Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, said.

The state budget for 2024 provides for 3 billion hryvnias for the compensation programme for humanitarian demining. The state will compensate 80% of the cost of demining a plot to farmers who work on their own or leased land. The price for demining services will be determined at open tenders in the Prozorro system. Compensation will be provided only once for one contaminated plot.

“In less than a year, Ukraine has increased its capacity in demining several times and after the survey returned 18,000 km² of land to use. The launch of the compensation programme for farmers should give an even greater impetus to the development of the humanitarian demining market, because the state creates additional financial motivation to clear land plots of unexploded ordnance for both owners and tenants, and for businesses that can make money from demining,” Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, explains.

Farmers against whom Ukraine has imposed sanctions, or agricultural goods producers, the ultimate owners of which are citizens of the aggressor country, will not be able to claim compensation. Farmers who are in liquidation or bankruptcy, as well as those who have tax debt, will also not be able to receive compensation.

156,000 km² of Ukrainian territories remain allegedly contaminated. In particular, these are agricultural lands. The goal of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine is to clean up 80% of contaminated land and make it safe for use within 10 years.