Agrarians of the Kherson region staged a protest near the Basin Department of Water Resources of the Lower Dnieper.
They protested against increasing tariffs for irrigation of fields, which over the past five years have grown by 4 times, the press service of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council (EAC) said. the cost of 1 m³ of water was at 10.25 UAH, in 2019 it amounted to 42.75 UAH / m³. At the same time, only in March of this year, the price of water increased by 28%. Agrarians believe that only growth of value by 12%, but not by 28%, can be called economically justified.
Farmers emphasize that the growth of all costs for growing crops, including irrigation, makes some of them unprofitable. The black list, in particular, includes corn and soy.
The protest rally was a response to the inability to come to a consensus with the authorities. Earlier, farmers repeatedly appealed to the State Water Agency of the region, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, the Antimonopoly Committee, the General Prosecutor's Office and the Prime Minister with a request to verify the objectivity of increasing water tariffs. They also asked to check the State Water Agency for the rational use of budgetary funds and to hold a field meeting on the issue of reforming the water supply system.
On April 11, the problem of raising water tariffs was discussed during a meeting of the working group of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian Policy and Land Relations. The second part of the meeting was held at the premises of the State Agency for Water Resources of Ukraine. From YOU, the meeting was attended by the head of the Adelaide Sports Federation Sergey Rybalko and representatives of the association Dmitry Kokhan and Alexander Romanenko.
There is no positive solution to the issue yet. No explanation was given regarding the increase in tariffs. The enterprises of the State Water Agency are monopolists and use their position. The situation is critical, but farmers will continue to look for ways to resolve it, Sergei Rybalko said following the meeting.
YOU controls this issue and will uphold a fair price for water for farmers in the southern regions of the country.
