Working for recovery of the country

Alexandre Tchesnakoff, Board Member of Credit Agricole Bank

Credit Agricole was one of the first international banks to start operations in Ukraine following it winning its independence. Now, as well as 32 years ago, Credit Agricole follows the international Group’s long-term development strategy in Ukraine. We strive to attract foreign investments via international financial organizations, utilizing the funds to support Ukrainian business, agriculture in particular.

Recently, as part of the Fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, we signed an important agreement with the IFC. We are expanding lending for businesses, in particular for the agrarian industry, we support climate-smart agriculture and energy independence of businesses. It is our contribution to the recovery of Ukraine.

We are proud of the fact that for over 15 years, Credit Agricole has been a strategic partner of the agrarian companies in Ukraine.

Initially, our customers were international companies, now we work with all business segments – with local corporates, with small and medium businesses and smaller agrarian producers. We now serve 2500 agrarian business customers, nearly half of them have been with us for over a decade. This is the highest indicator of customer loyalty and trust in the bank.

Beside energy independence and energy efficiency, Credit Agricole’s crucial areas of work with the agrarian sector include lease programs and financing small farmers. Leasing has a number of tax benefits and we cooperate with prominent manufactures and distributors in this area: John Deere, Fendt, Wielton, MAN, Massey Ferguson, Lemken Valtra and others. We are pleased that our programs are in demand and equipment leasing is picking up the pace.

We keep upgrading our financing programs, in particular for small farmers (agrarian companies up to 500 hectares) that require the most support in the wartime. We now offer them special products, quick solutions with simplified document package. We launched a pilot project in Poltava and Kirovohrad regions to make sure that our products and processes meet the needs of small agrarian producers. Currently, they are eligible for a special offer on favourable terms for current account opening and maintenance.

Certainly, now as ever our focus is on lending programs for the agrarian sector that account for 50% of legal entity loan portfolio of the bank. Since the war broke out, agrarian producers received UAH 6 billion as part of the Affordable Loans 5-7-9% program and UAH 2.1 billion under the State Guarantee Program.

In 2025, we keep moving towards energy independence and efficiency of business customers, as well as sustainable growth and promoting ESG principles of corporate governance. Therefore, we aim at helping Ukrainian agrarian companies to achieve international production standards through saving energy and resources as well as reducing carbon emissions. With this objective in mind, we piloted our ESG questionnaire for the agrarian customers as well as partner financing programs for purchasing and installing equipment for solar power stations. In the beginning of 2025, we joined efforts with eAgronom and Agrosem launching the АСА Program (the Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture Program). Together with our partners, we provide agribusinesses with a comprehensive set of services to ensure the transition to sustainable practices: expert advice on sustainable production, selection of land plots to increase the effectiveness of environmental initiatives, and development of detailed transition plans with capital investment calculations.

At the heart of all initiatives is the bank’s team, which has a deep understanding of the specifics of agricultural production, trends in the development of agribusiness, ESG standards and sustainable development practices.

We understand the needs of the agricultural sector, so our customers feel that we speak the same language – the language of agribusiness.