The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has provided the Ukrainian agricultural holding MHP, the largest chicken producer in Ukraine, with a loan of $250 million to support its efforts to mitigate the consequences of the war unleashed by Russia.

“Improving food security is a priority for DFC, particularly as Russian aggression against Ukraine has endangered global agricultural supply chains and put millions at risk for malnutrition and hunger. As one of the top global exporters of wheat, corn, barley, and poultry, Ukraine’s ability to supply markets with critical staples is vital to the health and stability of many nations,” said DFC CEO Scott Nathan.

"The loan to MHP would provide the company with funds to assist in the company’s refinancing needs for existing debt as well as capital to support improvements to facilities, including increased storage capacity and installation of electrical backups. DFC’s loan would also support the company’s transportation operations, increasing the company’s ability to transport goods via truck over land. These investments would support MHP SE’s production and export capacity," DFC said.

"DFC has committed $425 million in new transactions in Ukraine over the last year across a variety of sectors and all of its lines of business, including through equity investments, political risk insurance, debt financing, and technical assistance," the report says.

In particular, the corporation insured political risks for the Superhumans center for reconstructive surgery in Lviv. In collaboration with USAID, it also provided a $20 million guarantee for new SME loan portfolios to Lviv Bank and $40 million to Raiffeisen Bank, as well as a $50 million guarantee for the IFC Global Trade Finance Program in Ukraine.