Russia takes direct control of Kherson’s agriculture - NRC
Spring fieldwork (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The Russian authorities in the Kherson region have imposed de facto manual control over the agricultural sector, according to the National Resistance Center.
Analysts from the Center report that the allocation of agricultural land is taking place without open procedures or oversight, fundamentally changing the operating rules for local producers.
At the initiative of the region’s governor, Volodymyr Saldo, an occupation structure called the Kherson Grain Company was created, publicly presented as a tool for regulating the agricultural sector.
In fact, this is about the creation of a controlled intermediary that monopolizes access to land, pushing farmers out of direct agreements and concentrating resources within a single structure.
Analysts from the Center note that the company’s operating scheme shows all signs of corruption. Land plots are not transferred directly to producers but are distributed through the pseudo-state company to a limited circle of loyal individuals or subleased at inflated prices.
As a result, farmers are forced to work under worse conditions without guarantees of stability, while the interests of the company’s leadership are embedded in the very mechanism of land access.
In addition, this structure claims access to so-called state subsidies, which effectively turns budgetary support into an internal redistribution of funds among individuals close to the occupation administration.
The Center also points out that this model may be connected to the personal financial interests of Volodymyr Saldo, including the possible transfer of assets through a network of foreign companies involved in agricultural trade.
Ultimately, the state status of the company is used as a cover for opaque land management, corrupt agreements, and the systematic displacement of local farmers, while the agricultural sector in the Kherson region increasingly becomes a source of income for a narrow circle of structures linked to the Russian authorities.
Suppression of farmers in temporarily occupied territories
The Kremlin has required farmers in the occupied territories to obtain tractor-driver licenses of the Russian standard. Otherwise, their equipment will be confiscated.
Meanwhile, in the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, the Russians are concerned about potential farmer uprisings. This is because, due to total looting, terror, and property seizure, farmers cannot endure the conditions imposed on them by Russia.
Russia also planned to force farmers in the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region to hand over not only grain but also harvested vegetables. This means that farmers would have to give up their entire harvest at a fixed price, which is below the market rate.
