Rescuing a family business: a lawyer-turned-farmer

The autumn of 2023 is likely to be remembered by most Ukrainian farmers as one of the most challenging seasons yet. Adverse weather conditions for harvesting and fieldwork held for weeks on end, with prolonged rains, followed by snow and then harsh frosts. Many farmers, like Serhii from Kharkiv Oblast, struggled to harvest their corn on time. “We finished threshing in January,” he recalls. “The corn wasn’t bad, but it was very wet.” Serhii stored the grain in his warehouse, but without a grain-drying machine, he had to search for drying services. High demand and power outages due to the weather drove up prices.

Fortunately, Serhii found out about the Kovyahivske grain elevator, which had expanded its grain processing and drying capacity with support from the USAID AGRO. The facility offers services to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Kharkiv Oblast, allowing Serhii to dry his corn at a promotional rate and sell it. Since then, his farm, Ryabokonivske, has become a regular client and shipped part of the new season's harvest to the elevator.

Serhii is particularly invested in his farm after he left his legal career in Kharkiv to run the family business. “Ryabokonivske was a small family venture started by my parents in 2003,” he explains. “In 2017, after my stepfather passed away, I decided to take over to keep it afloat.” Despite advice to abandon farming, Serhii believed in the potential of agriculture and applied the skills he had learned from his stepfather. His focus on crop rotation and good seed varieties soon began to show results. “The main challenge was keeping the land plot owners happy so that no one would pull out of the land lease agreements. I rent some 500 hectares,” Serhiy says. “When we harvested the first crop, paid the rent, and no one withdrew, we breathed a sigh of relief.”

“Life is short. You have to dream, set goals, and work towards them,” says Serhii.

Today, Serhii cultivates sunflower, corn, soybeans, and wheat. Although he has his machinery, he still rents a combine for harvesting. As the farm's manager and agronomist, he handles crop rotation decisions. His small but young team brings a modern approach to agricultural processes. Despite the risks and the ongoing war, Serhii remains committed to growing his business. “Life is short. You have to dream, set goals, and work towards them,” says he.

USAID AGRO Ukraine is partnering with agricultural enterprises to expand grain storage and processing capabilities to support farmers like Serhii. Over 1,000 MSMEs benefit from this support as USAID AGRO is doubling the capacity of 25 partner elevators. This will add over one million tons of storage space annually, compensating for 15% of the grain storage capacity lost due to the war.