On 19 March 2026, a workshop titled “Financing for Smallholder Farmers: Portfolio Guarantees of the Partial Credit Guarantee Fund in Agriculture and Modern Standards” will take place, focusing on opportunities to access finance for small agricultural producers.
The objective of the online event is to support small-scale agricultural producers prepare with confidence to access finance, to improve their understanding of banks’ requirements, and to help them avoid common mistakes when submitting loan applications.
The workshop is aimed at small organic and non-organic agricultural producers (up to 500 ha), farm enterprises and family farms, agricultural cooperatives, advisory services and agri-consultants, representatives of financial institutions and credit unions, sector associations and producer organisations, as well as experts and specialists in agricultural finance.
The event will be useful for farmers who:
• plan to take out a loan to develop their business;
• require working capital or investment financing;
• wish to understand banks’ requirements regarding environmental and social standards;
• are looking for practical tools to access finance.
During the workshop, participants will learn:
• how the Partial Credit Guarantee Fund in Agriculture (PCGF) guarantee mechanism works and who is eligible to use it;
• the criteria for obtaining a guaranteed loan;
• which banks and financial institutions the Fund works with;
• how to properly prepare a financing application.
Special attention will be given to ESG standards in agriculture, and why they are important in the loan application process, why banks take them into account, and how to practically complete the unified ESG questionnaire together with experts.
In addition, Fund representatives will present practical examples and success stories of farmers who have already benefited from these opportunities.
The event will also include a presentation by a representative of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, who will outline current state support instruments for small-scale agricultural producers, the role of the guarantee mechanism, and its synergy with other programmes.
Event details:
Date: 19 March 2026
Time: 10:00–12:30 (2.5 hours)
Format: online, Zoom
Participation is free of charge upon prior registration.
Workshop registration link (in Ukrainian)
Detailed agenda (in Ukrainian)
Contact person: Alyona Lashko, Organic Component Senior Expert of the Swiss–Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP), alyona.lashko@qftp.org
The workshop is organised at the initiative of the Partial Credit Guarantee Fund in Agriculture (PCGF), implemented by the World Bank and financed by the European Union. The event was held in cooperation with the Swiss–Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP), funded by Switzerland and implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland). Speakers included representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, PCGF, partner banks, and agricultural producers who have already accessed loans backed by the Fund’s guarantees. Organisational and communications support was provided by the Green Agro Solutions Public Association.