Severe labor shortage hits agricultural sector, warns MP Dmytro Solomchuk

Ukraine’s agriculture ss experiencing a severe labor shortage, especially impacting small and medium-sized farms. The situation is dire, with a critical lack of skilled workers, including tractor drivers, combine operators, and agronomists.

Dmytro Solomchuk, a member of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy, highlighted this issue during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine.  

“Unfortunately, the labor situation in the agricultural sector is disastrous. Small and medium-sized farms, which are not considered essential, have seen many workers mobilized elsewhere, leading to a catastrophic shortage. It’s gotten to the point where if someone posts a job ad or a resume online, they might receive offers from 100 employers within a day or two, offering jobs, housing, and food. There just aren’t enough people left in rural areas,” Solomchuk stated. 

Solomchuk warned that this shortage could disrupt agricultural production, especially if Ukraine aims to align with the European Union’s increasing demand for organic products. “There’s a global trend towards organic food, with high demand from European consumers. This type of farming requires more labor-intensive methods, including multiple mechanical crop treatments. Without adequate staffing, we can’t develop in this direction, nor can any farmer, as it would be technically impossible,” he explained.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news