Many companies located close to the Russian border have been suffering daily from shelling and damages. Bakyrivske LLC is one of them. For 25 years, the company has been cultivating grain and oilseed crops, as well as breeding pigs. One night in March 2022 changed all the plans and expectations of a successful family business, when six bombs of the enemy air attack completely destroyed their workshop, warehouses, machinery, facilities and livestock.

Ihor Hurbanov, the owner of Bakyrivske LLC, recalls that terrible shelling and the devastation it caused. In particular, he lost 300 tons of sunflower, 400 tons of corn, 100 tons of barley, 100 pigs and more than 20 pieces of machinery and equipment, including a new harvester. However, the farmer did not give up and, after deoccupation, managed to restore his business with the help of committed friends, colleagues and clients, and supported by the European partners.

The company applied for funding under the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line and received EUR 88,699 loan via the facility’s partner bank Credit Agricole Bank. They invested in purchasing a modern harvester New Holland CX6.90 that combines a wide range of advanced systems and features designed to boost performance and harvesting quality in demanding field conditions.

Ihor says that the adjustment range of this machinery makes it easy to deliver clean, undamaged grain and straw quality meeting customer demands. “The harvester is very efficient, it significantly reduces the operator’s workload due to the automated functions, ensures higher safety and level of comfort”, the business owner underlines.

Participation in the Programme helped the farmer save on investment costs thanks to the increased amount of the incentive. In addition to the basic 10%, Bakyrivske LLC received 15% grant from the EU under the “Enterprise Renaissance Window (ERW)”, bringing the total investment incentive to 25% of the loan amount.