PROBLEMS OF PROCESSING GARDENERS - SUPPORT OF DEPUTIES

In my previous information from March 10, I wrote about the committee meeting of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Agrarian and Land Policy (committee hearings) on the topic: "State support of the agricultural sector in 2024" chaired by the Chairman of the Committee Oleksandr Haydu.

In the course of speeches from the NGO "Ukrainian Walnut Association" at the meeting of the Agrarian Committee of the Verkhovna Rada, the president of the association Hennadiy Yudin took part and spoke about the problem of lack of funding for all horticultural enterprises that receive their own harvest in gardens and plan to develop processing capacities for its primary technological processing. During the speech, a letter was sent to the Agrarian Committee of the Verkhovna Rada with proposals for making the necessary changes to the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 739 "Some issues of granting grants to processing enterprises" dated June 24, 2022.

Further, based on the results of the committee hearings and speeches at them, the decision of the Agrarian Committee dated 18.03.24 approved the relevant RECOMMENDATIONS, which were sent to the Cabinet of Ministers and relevant Ministries for further processing.

In the Recommendations approved by the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Agrarian and Land Policy, it is recommended to the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine together with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, hereinafter I quote:

"...5.3. Consider the possibility of amending the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 24.06.2022 No. 739 "Some issues of granting grants to processing enterprises" regarding the normalization of the activities of horticultural enterprises to receive grant funds for the development of processing capacities for the primary technological processing of harvested crops, including for commercialization of products of own production..."

It is gratifying that the gardeners' problems have found such active support among the People's Deputies of Ukraine. The Agrarian Committee of the Verkhovna Rada under the chairmanship of the Chairman of the Committee Oleksandr Haydu supported in its recommendations the request of the gardeners, which was presented by Gennady Yudin on behalf of the horticultural enterprises of the corporation "Vinnytsiasadvinprom" and the Ukrainian Nut Association.

The position of the people's elected officials is encouraging and inspires confidence in the further positive solution of this horticultural problem. Since, despite the significant list of problematic issues considered during the committee hearings, this urgent problem of gardeners is very detailed in the general, descriptive part of the Recommendations of the Agrarian Committee of the Verkhovna Rada. I quote further:

"...At the same time, the participants of the hearings emphasized that every year more and more horticultural agro-enterprises are faced with the need for primary processing of fruits after harvesting.

The harvested crop of nuts (in particular, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds) immediately after its collection in industrial gardens, is subject to mandatory primary processing, which includes a number of sequentially performed technological operations: cleaning, washing, drying, calibration, packaging of nuts for storage of the crop .

Only after performing the above-mentioned technological operations, nuts are used for their further promotion: realization in the shell (including for export), further deep processing - peeling, blanching, production of nut products and ingredients, etc. In industrial orchards of stone and seed fruit crops, in berry plantations there are also appropriate technologies for primary processing of fruits and berries after harvesting.

In connection with the need for primary technological processing of the nut harvest collected in gardens, horticultural agro-enterprises have an urgent need to purchase equipment for performing the above-mentioned technological operations, namely: equipment for cleaning, washing, drying, calibration, packaging.

The majority of gardeners-farmers plan to purchase this equipment with the help of the current grant program in accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 24.06.2022 No. 739 "Some issues of granting grants to processing enterprises".

Some horticultural enterprises have already submitted applications for grant funds with business projects for the development of processing facilities for the primary technological processing of the harvest collected in the gardens. However, decisions on these applications were not made and grant funds were not received.

According to the hearing participants, the main problem is as follows. According to clause 10 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 739, the recipient of grant funds shall indicate the type of economic activity in his application in accordance with KVED DC 009:2010. According to KVED, the cultivation of perennial crops belongs to Section A Group 01.2 Classes 01.21 - 01.29, which are among the main ones for most horticultural enterprises.

At the same time, the division of section A includes only the cultivation of crops, and the activity of further processing of products is classified in accordance with KVED in Section C Processing industry. In turn, only types of economic activity of Section C Processing industry are suitable for receiving grant funds in accordance with the specified resolution of the CMU.

In the official clarification, Derzhkomstat also noted the impossibility of using KVED Section C by horticultural enterprises for primary processing of crops collected in gardens (cleaning, washing, drying). The position of the Derzhkomstat - the primary technological processing of the harvest in gardens should be classified according to KVED: Section A Group 01.2.

Therefore, the situation today is that all horticultural enterprises that receive their own harvest and plan to develop processing facilities for its primary technological processing will not be able to participate in the grant program according to the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 739.

According to the participants of the hearing, the settlement of the specified problem is possible by correcting the text of the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 739"...

Therefore, the Recommendations approved by the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Agrarian and Land Policy dated March 18, 2024 and sent to the Ministry of Economy for further processing will serve as a basic platform for the further work of Vinnytsiasadvinprom Corporation and the Ukrainian Nut Association in solving this problem.

... "Give me a point of support..." - this famous saying of the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes from Syracuse sounded extremely relevant at the moment in support of the specialized Agrarian Committee of the Verkhovna Rada for the country's gardeners.

Hennadiy Yudin, President of the Ukrainian Nut Association.

Serhii Boychuk, General Director of Vinnytsyasadvinprom Corporation