New demining training programs for veterans launched with UNDP support
October 1, 2024
The Centre for Humanitarian Demining signed the first contract with the winner of the auction for the provision of demining services for agricultural land. The winner was the mine action operator "Ukrainian Demining Services", which will demine a plot of 86 hectares in the Shevchenkivska community of Mykolaiv region.
This is the first practical result of the state programme for compensating farmers for the cost of demining agricultural land. The programme was launched by the Government of Ukraine to accelerate the return of mine-contaminated agricultural land to productive use.
"This is a historic moment. The first auction, the first contract, the first step towards systematic demining of agricultural land with state support. The programme works — and it works transparently, through the Prozorro system," said Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Economy of Ukraine.
The auction was held in the Prozorro electronic procurement system, which ensured transparency and competitiveness of the process. The state compensates 80% of the demining cost, while the farmer pays the remaining 20%.
"We specifically designed the programme so that the entire process — from filing the application to completing the demining — is transparent and understandable for all participants. Farmers see the price, operators compete for the right to perform work, and the state ensures quality control," explained Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.
Following the demining of the 86-hectare plot, the land will be returned to the farmer for agricultural use. The Centre for Humanitarian Demining will verify the quality of work performed by the operator.
The state budget has allocated 3 billion hryvnias for the compensation programme. Applications from farmers are accepted through the State Agrarian Register.
