Over the first three months of 2026, experts of the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC) processed and provided consultations on more than 258 requests from 174 agricultural enterprises across 20 regions of Ukraine regarding the reservation of workers (deferment from military service) and obtaining the status of critically important enterprises, within the framework of a project to support Ukrainian agricultural producers from affected regions in partnership with the international humanitarian organization Mercy Corps. Small and medium-sized agricultural producers turn to the UAC's free legal advisory line for professional assistance with preparing documents, confirming criticality, and securing the reservation of key workers.

"For farms, the issue of criticality and the reservation of workers is a condition not only for the stable operation of the enterprise, but also for the timely conduct of the sowing and harvesting campaigns. It is precisely the ability to retain key specialists — agronomists, machine operators, engineers, and other professionals — that makes it possible to maintain production processes and ensure the food security of communities and the country as a whole. Such professional support is especially important for enterprises in affected and frontline communities," noted Lesia Pankratova, the UAC's consultant on accounting and taxation.

The project is ongoing and covers the entire territory of Ukraine, with the main focus on the regions most affected by the war: the Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Odesa, Kyiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad regions.

As a reminder, UAC experts provide professional consultations to agricultural producers on issues of reservation (deferment from military service), criticality, accounting and tax records, land relations, and participation in state support programs.

To get a consultation, submit your request via the electronic form at the link: https://forms.gle/v56UzTAsrD9Zrx998

For more information, contact the legal advisory line at: +38 067 522-03-43

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MERCY CORPS is an international humanitarian organization that operates in more than 40 countries worldwide and provides assistance to people affected by disasters, wars, poverty, and the consequences of climate change.