Anastasiia took over the management of the farm following her husband’s death. She says it was difficult, but her love of farming gave her the strength to take on this challenging responsibility. In addition, she had always been involved in all aspects of the farm’s operations and participated in most of its production processes.
The farm suffered significant losses as a result of hostilities following the outbreak of the full-scale war. Shelling destroyed and damaged the farm’s material and technical assets, including a storage facility, tractor, grain seeder, sprayer, water tank and grain cleaner.
The total amount of the losses is nearly UAH 9 million.
Anastasiia did her best to restore the farm’s operations using her own resources, but the drought in 2025 dealt a severe blow to the business.
After learning from other farmers in her community about the Mercy Corps grant programme, supported by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Anastasiia also decided to apply for financial assistance. Her application was approved, and with the funds received, she purchased a Lovol tractor, a sprayer and a grain seeder.
The woman is especially pleased with the new sprayer, as the previous one was severely damaged.
“This is my favourite piece of equipment! The sprayer is very high-quality, exactly what I wanted. I mix all the necessary solutions myself and prepare the right proportions. I’m so happy with this equipment. Now I don’t have to run around, ask others, or look for someone who has a sprayer available. I’m no longer dependent on others and can carry out all the treatments on time, when they are needed. It’s such a great feeling! I could only dream of having a sprayer like this. And the new tractor hasn’t sat idle for a single minute either. This equipment is really essential for us,” says the programme participant.
Thanks to the new equipment, the farmer is making plans to expand her operations. She plans to lease more land for cultivation and introduce a new crop for her farm next year — flax. She also wants to try growing rapeseed using no-till technology. In the future, she plans to build a storage facility for her harvest.
“I really love what I do and wouldn’t want to give it up. To be honest, it was very difficult at first: I had to figure everything out on my own and practically lived in the fields. Our equipment had been destroyed and damaged. Thanks to this grant, I now have the equipment I need to work, and I can make plans and continue developing. This is very important to me!” the farmer says, sharing her experience of participating in the programme.
LASKA FUND implements the program in Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Odesa regions.
Submit an application: https://uasp.mercycorps.org
LASKA FUND Hotline: 067 137 05 05
