The suspension of funding for programs by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will have a negative impact on the Ukrainian agricultural sector, prompting the government to seek solutions to this issue and attract alternative financing, stated Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Vitaliy Koval.
"Certainly, the halt in funding for USAID projects will adversely affect the operations of the Ukrainian agricultural sector. Many producers were expecting deliveries of equipment already financed through programs and their own funds," he said at the Grain Storage Forum in Kyiv on Friday.
The minister emphasized that relying on funding from a single source during wartime is excessively risky for Ukraine. Therefore, the government is exploring options to replace American funds with European financing for ongoing projects.
President of the Ukrainian Grain Association Mykola Gorbachov added that, according to his information, the suspension of financial support has led to the potential layoffs of 160 highly qualified specialists at the Ukrainian office of USAID across various programs.