Demining program for farmers in frontline regions launched in Ukraine

A new humanitarian demining and agricultural support program has officially been launched in Ukraine for producers whose lands suffered from contamination by explosive devices and active hostilities. Farmers operating in the Kharkiv, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts can now apply for comprehensive assistance to resume full-scale agricultural production on affected lands.

The program is implemented by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine. Financial backing is provided by the governments of Austria, Canada, Finland, and Poland.

Application submissions are open from November 2 to November 30, 2026, via the State Agrarian Register (SAR). Agricultural producers cultivating between 3 and 300 hectares of land within designated territorial communities across the three target regions are eligible to apply. A mandatory requirement is that the land plots must be located at least 20 kilometers away from active combat zones.

The assistance framework includes vouchers for purchasing seeds and fertilizers, conducting agrochemical soil analyses, and receiving professional agronomic consulting. Furthermore, support covers humanitarian demining aspects: both farmers with already surveyed plots and confirmed safe access, and those whose lands still require non-technical surveys and demining operations, are eligible to apply.

The initiative covers 25 territorial communities across the three oblasts, including Balakliia, Izium, Snihurivka, and others. Participant selection will be based on established criteria, individual farm recovery needs, and available funding, with priority given to farmers who have not previously received similar assistance from FAO.