Over 15 years of helping agribusinesses grow – Natalia Porvina

20 August 2026

Natalia Porvina, head of Agro Business Support and ESG Department at Credit Agricole

The Ukrainian Farmer, August 2026

NATALIA PORVINA, head of Agro Business Support and ESG Department at Credit Agricole

Credit Agricole is the oldest international bank in Ukraine with a unique history: in France, Credit Agricole Group was founded specifically to support farmers. As it has for over 30 years, the bank adheres to a long-term development strategy in Ukraine, investing in the economy and supporting agricultural sector – one of the leading drivers of the recovery. The bank systematically cooperates with international financial organizations: the total volume of Credit Agricole’s agreements with EBRD and IFC reached EUR 440 million, a significant number of which is directed toward lending to the agricultural sector.
Credit Agricole kicked off the spring 2026 business season by signing the agreement to acquire Bank Lviv. This step confirms the bank’s commitment to long-term operations in the Ukrainian market and to expanding its presence in the SME segment and agricultural sector.
Agribusinesses is one of the priority areas for Credit Agricole. For over 15 years, we have been working with all the segments of the agricultural market: ranging from small farms to agricultural

holdings. Today, the bank provides services to more than 2650 agricultural customers, half of them have remained with us for over 10 years. For us, it shows trust and confirms that real partnership is built on deep understanding of the customer’s business. For this reason, the bank has had Agro Business Support and ESG Department in place, consisting of specialists with specialized agronomic training. Our experts understand the specifics of production cycles of agricultural enterprises and assess not only financial indicators, but also models of the enterprise, management culture, and growth potential. This approach helps us find solutions that meet real needs of the agricultural producers.
In recent years, the needs of our agribusiness customers have changed significantly. While at the start of the full-scale war the main priority was to help businesses get through the season and maintain liquidity, today investments in development are becoming increasingly important. Modernizing production and grain storage infrastructure, upgrading machinery, and increasing energy independence strengthen the competitiveness of farms. Financing is increasingly becoming a tool for risk management and business development. That is why we support agricultural producers in financing working capital, upgrading agricultural machinery, and implementing energy efficiency and climate change adaptation projects. Projects involving the installation of solar power stations are becoming more and more popular, as they reduce production costs and make business operations more predictable.
Credit Agricole is actively developing partnership programs for agribusinesses. Today, the bank offers over 70 partnership programs with leading producers, dealers, and distributors of the machinery, grain, plant protection products, fertilizers, and combustive-lubricating materials. Specifically, in the area of financing agricultural machinery, the bank partners with John Deere, Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Valtra, MAN, Lemken, Kuhn, Amazone, and others. Such programs allow agricultural producers to obtain more favorable financing terms and,

if necessary, combine them with the “Affordable Loans at 5–7–9%” state program. The bank is constantly expanding its product line, offering foreign currency leasing, financing for used equipment, and special programs for small farms, with a simplified documentation package and faster loan approval.
We believe that the best ideas often come directly from the field, because no financial analysis can replace a sincere conversation with a farmer. That is why our experts spend 80% of their working time with customers in the fields and at production sites, and actively participate in discussions about the state of the industry and initiatives for its development. We also actively support and develop unique agricultural projects. The 49th Agro Expedition, a joint crop tour of Ukrainian fields organized in partnership with Latifundist, recently kicked off. The project helps us see the real situation in the regions and better understand the challenges the farmers are faced with. For example, based on the results of last year’s Agro Expedition, we identified our customers’ need to expand their own storage infrastructure and grain dryers. Such investments help control the cost of drying late crops, reduce dependence on external infrastructure, and realize the harvest on favorable terms.
One of the key priorities for us is the development of ESG approaches, as they contribute to the sustainability of agricultural producers. With this goal in mind, last year we launched the Agriculture Climate Adaptation Program in partnership with eAgronom and Agrosem. The program helps agribusinesses implement modern technologies and generate additional revenue from carbon credits, the volume of which depends on the changes implemented and can partially or fully offset the costs of agricultural machinery.
This is the fifth year that the Ukrainian agricultural sector has been operating amid a full-scale war, demonstrating professionalism and the ability to grow despite the challenges. It is a great honor for us to partner with Ukrainian farmers. We believe that it is precisely the combination of long-term partnership, agricultural expertise, and willingness to invest even in the most difficult times that lays the foundation for the sustainable development of Ukrainian agriculture.

“We are not waiting for Ukraine to recover – we are investing now,” – Oleksandr Kurkin, Credit Agricole Ukraine