Don Farmers Face Harsh Conditions for Loan Extensions

Governor of Rostov Region Yuri Slyusar reported that agricultural producers are facing difficulties in restructuring loans after a severe drought.

Jan 27, 2026

Modifying the conditions for extending loans requires decisions that must be taken at the federal level.
Source:
Government of Rostov Region

In 2025, Rostov Region was hit by a severe drought, leading to the worst grain harvest in the last decade. A state of emergency was declared in 28 districts and was only lifted at the end of the year.

Affected farmers now cannot take advantage of the support measure proposed by the authorities — loan extensions. Governor Yuri Slyusar stated that the conditions for receiving assistance turned out to be excessively strict.

«Essentially, one needs to be on the verge of bankruptcy. To receive assistance, agricultural producers must have acts of crop write-off due to a federal-level natural emergency. This approach is established by federal legislation. However, not all affected parties have such acts of write-off,» he explained.

Slyusar provided specific numbers: out of 89 loans planned for extension, only 34 were approved for farmers. The total amount of restructured debt should exceed one billion rubles (over $11 million at current rates).

The governor noted that changing the conditions for extension can only be done at the federal level. For a detailed study of the situation, he instructed the region«s Minister of Agriculture, Anna Kasyanenko.