Oleksandr Lishchuk

Oleksandr Lishchuk runs a dairy farm in Lviv Oblast with 130 cows that produce 1.5 tons of milk each day.

While that output is impressive, it is also impossible for Oleksandr to maintain such a high level of production without prompt and regular access to finance. Thankfully, even in wartime, he is able to turn to his local credit union to obtain affordable loans. 

“The processing of my loan application takes so little time, no more than a couple days. With banks it may take a month, while I often need the money quickly,” says Oleksandr, who has partnered with the credit union for years.

He needed to take out such a loan earlier this year after making a decision to produce his own feed for his animals. Because of the rising prices in Ukraine caused by Russia’s ongoing invasion, it was no longer sustainable for Oleksandr to purchase feed from third-party suppliers. To start growing crops on his land, the farmer took out a UAH 700,000 (approximately US $17,500) loan to buy seed, mineral fertilizers, plant protection products and diesel fuel.

The loan was made possible thanks to the liquidity support USAID and Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions provide to credit unions in Ukraine through the US $1 million Liquidity Fund, operated by the USAID/WOCCU Credit for Agriculture Producers (CAP) Project.

Since its inception in April 2021, the Liquidity Fund has supported more than 1,142 agricultural MSME borrowers who received over 1,384 loans worth US $3.55 million through 22 CAP Project partner credit unions.