Developing the agriculture sector is a strategic goal for Ukraine. One of the aims is to improve farmers’ access to finance to purchase the appropriate inputs and technology to increase their productivity and profitability.
In June-October 2017, commissioned by IFC, SME Banking Club experts carried out a study of the possibility of improving the conditions for lending to agribusiness in Ukraine, based on the experience of countries with a developed agricultural industry: Canada, USA, Australia, France, Germany, and Brazil.
The experts compared the rules, policies, requirements, regulations, and institutional models of support of the agricultural sector with a focus on the SME segment. They analyzed methods and channels of interaction with farmers, progressive and effective channels of farmers’ influence on state institutions. Studied the banking industry regulation issues, credit risks, collateral assessment, requirements for reserving agricultural loans, and approaches to insurance.
Identified key banking products for agriculture, partnership and risk-sharing models, value chain finance, and digital financial services.
In 2018, Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) invited Andrii Hidulian, founder of SME Banking Club and SME Banking Agency, to carry out a project to review and update the RBI Group’s SME banking strategy in CEE.
Preparation of a development strategy for the SME segment, considering market conditions, its potential, and the bank’s capabilities.
KfW invited SME Banking Club experts to conduct an analytical study to understand the specifics of the region’s business, financing needs, financial institutions’ activity, and lending development plans.