«We need a master plan for 20-30 years»: Kim on supporting farmers in Mykolaiv region

Ukraine needs a master plan to support agribusiness for at least 20-30 years to be competitive with other countries and adapt to new climate conditions.

This was stated by Vitalii Kim, Head of Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, during the AGRO Finance 2025 conference organised by Oschadbank on 17 September.

In his speech, Vitalii Kim focused on the key challenge for the region — the loss of irrigation systems and the large-scale impact of drought.

«On drought and climate change. I remember the years when everything was easier. We are now in an arid region. Under the Soviet Union, there were 330,000 hectares of irrigated land in Kherson region. That's from memory. Before the war, there were 300,000. In Mykolaiv region, there were 270,000, and now there are only 30,000. That is, a lot of the potential we had has been lost. Despite the fact that historically we have the best land for growing all types of products that can create added value and taxes. As they used to say, two years of drought is a bad thing. This is the situation we are in now», he stressed.

The head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration said that the issue of climate conditions is currently being actively discussed with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Minister of Economy Oleksii Sobolev. However, in his opinion, this is not enough. The proximity of the region to the war zone does not help the situation.

«The main problem is that money costs money. And international banks look at frontline regions from a risk perspective. And for business, it is important to forecast the conditions in which you can work and make money for 7-10 years. My task is to create the conditions for businesses to operate», said Vitalii Kim.

The Head of the RMA believes that Ukraine needs a master plan for the restoration of irrigation for 20-30 years, developed in partnership with the EU.

Another critical factor for agribusiness, he said, is access to high-quality, cheap water.

«Without a stable price and quality of water, businesses will not invest in irrigation, and without long-term and affordable finance, farmers will not be able to develop and compete in the market. This is where the state should create conditions for agribusiness to work and for the land to bring results», said Vitalii Kim.

The forum also discussed practical tools to support the agricultural sector: cooperation with banks, including state-owned ones; co-financing mechanisms for irrigation projects; crop insurance and the introduction of innovative technologies to adapt to climate change.

As reported earlier, NikVesti wrote that almost 400 hectares of corn and half of the sunflower crop were lost in Mykolaiv region due to the prolonged drought, which has been going on for two years.