Mobilisation threatens Ukrainian grain harvest
The Ukrainian grain industry has appealed to the authorities, calling to ensure the grain industry has enough workforce to keep the operations rolling.
Ukraine has recently enacted a new mobilisation law, a move aimed at bolstering the Armed Forces with fresh recruits. However, this law could have unintended consequences for the already struggling grain industry.
“The work of companies in the agricultural sector is possible only in conditions of minimal confidence that qualified workers and managers will be available to work and organise the work every day,” the Ukrainian Grain Association said.
With Ukrainian farms already grappling with a shortage of labour, the new mobilisation law could deal a severe blow to the industry’s financial stability.
“After all, a functioning agricultural sector means tens of billions of dollars in revenue to the state and local budgets, which the country really needs to provide to its defence forces,” the organisation noted.
Looming threat: Lack of qualified workforce
There are signs that a lack of qualified workforce is becoming a major problem for Ukrainian agriculture. The Ukrainian Association of pig farmers recently estimated that every second pig farm in the country suffers due to a lack of workers.
However, the issue is not that pressing, and farms have now started to fill vacancies traditionally considered male in the country with women, the association has said in a recent statement.
In the face of a new conscript, the Ukrainian farmers want the state to set the minimal number of workers the companies can retain to keep the wheels in motion.
“We are convinced that in order to resolve the issue of retaining highly qualified workers and maintaining the functioning of the businesses, we need an additional mechanism for reserving military personnel – the so-called economic reservation,” the Ukrainian Grain Association noted.
Pushing through the challenges
However, the organisation has not offered a concrete share of staff it wants to be protected from the new draft.
“The mobilisation of key highly qualified employees threatens our activities since it is difficult to quickly find a replacement to specialists in war conditions, and given the personnel shortage, it is often impossible to find a suitable worker,” the association emphasised.
Despite the challenges, the Ukrainian grain farmers are steadfast in their commitment to ensure uninterrupted operations.
Farmers will continue to work and support the Ukrainian defence and economy despite all the difficulties: daily shelling, destruction of production facilities, losses of colleagues, power and logistics outages, border blockades, lack of access to cheap capital and the mobilisation of critical workers
Ukrainian Grain Association stressed
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