This year in the Lviv region, we place special emphasis on supporting those areas of agriculture that require maximum involvement of labor.
We are talking about growing of berries, vegetables, potatoes, as well as horticulture.
In conditions of war, we have to perform three important tasks:
1. Partially compensate for the loss of production areas in the occupied regions or in regions where active hostilities are currently underway.
2. Protect the people of the region and temporarily displaced persons from hunger, which the enemy wants to use as a weapon.
3. Provide new jobs for residents of the region and IDPs in rural areas and at enterprises processing agricultural raw materials.
I would like to note that Lviv region is one of the three largest potato producers among the regions of Ukraine, with an annual production of over 1.6 million tons.
The consignment of high-yielding (elite) seed potatoes from France, which we received today, will be planted by small commercial agricultural enterprises of Lviv region on an area of about 40 hectares.
According to preliminary estimates, this will allow harvesting at least 600 tons of seed potatoes this year, which will then be used for growing food potatoes.
We are already working to ensure that other regions of Ukraine receive such humanitarian aid.
In addition to seed aid, Lviv Regional Military Administration has approved a separate program of financial support for farmers in Lviv region.
The total budget of the program is over 22 million hryvnias. This is more than we planned to provide in support of regional agriculture in the pre-war period. The aid will be targeted exclusively at micro and small farmers.