The fund is designed to help Ukrainian farmers clear their fields, sow, and grow grain again. Currently, about six million hectares of agricultural land have been affected by the war. Demining this territory is estimated to take ten years and about $9-$12B.
As UGA noted, Ukrainian farmers who have suffered significant losses will most likely be unable to demine their fields independently. At the same time, the loss of this arable land will have huge consequences for the agricultural sector, the country’s economy, the welfare of farmers, and the availability to supply food for hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
The fund’s resources will be directed to organizations that train demining teams, carry out demining, and finance projects.
According to the Ministry of Defense, 470,000 hectares of fertile land in the de-occupied territories must be screened for mines. So far, almost 188,600 hectares have been inspected, of which 124,020 hectares need to be cleared, and 76,220 hectares have already been cleared.