Business Lockdown: Agriculture executive Desthieux’s firm may lose all harvest

Editor’s Note: Ukraine’s businesses are struggling after the country introduced nationwide restrictions on movement and travel starting on March 12. The restrictions have been toughened since then and are set to last until at least April 24. Most businesses are closed with employees working remotely or not working at all. The exceptions include supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, parcel delivery services. The borders are closed to most forms of traffic, except Ukrainians returning by foot or by car. Most domestic transportation is closed or heavily restricted. Estimates range on how deeply the ensuing recession will harm Ukraine. The Kyiv Post talked with entrepreneurs about their daily struggles, asking how the quarantine has affected their ventures and what they are planning to do once it’s lifted.

We want to hear your personal story of survival during this national lockdown. Please contact us at [email protected]

Romain Desthieux
General Manager of Mas Seeds Ukraine, a subsidiary of Maïsadour Cooperative Group, the main agricultural cooperative in southern France. Founded 10 years ago, Mas Seeds Ukraine is the biggest subsidiary of the group, with more than 150 employees. It operates the largest seed factory in Ukraine

“We are lucky to work in probably one of the less impacted sectors, in agriculture, where everything happens only once a year. We have delivered (what we promised) to all our clients on time. The biggest risk now with the quarantine would be not to be able to sow. But the process is currently starting and – thanks to an adapted organization – we hope that we won’t miss a single hectare.

“We follow the distance rules as strictly as possible. Everybody who can work from home does it. Business trips are organized in groups of two persons only. We have no choice but to succeed, for it’s a matter of food safety for the whole country. We took preventive measures early. We decided to put people who were coming back from abroad in quarantine as early as on March 11. When we made that decision, I was in France, so it had to apply to me! That was not the rule yet, and I really wanted to be with my team, but I was among the first to move to remote work fully.

“In agriculture, people are really dedicated to their jobs. That’s amazing. I admire all our employees for their passion, which is the key driver.

“I am very concerned about the economic consequences of the quarantine in Ukraine. So many people are going to be without any resources. It is time to quickly arrange at least free food for them.

Romain Desthieux is the general manager of Mas Seeds Ukraine, a subsidiary of Maïsadour Cooperative Group, the main agricultural cooperative in southern France.

“As everything happens once a year in our business, we will be in permanent danger to miss an operational step during the quarantine. For instance, at the end of June, we will need 2,000 people to work our fields. They usually come from western Ukraine while we produce in eastern Ukraine. If we miss this operation, we will not only have a smaller harvest, we would also simply have to destroy 100% of the annual production…

“Everybody should wear a mask even if we do not have enough masks for everybody. I see that people succeed to craft their own masks here. Ukrainians are very good at system D (a manner of responding to challenges that requires one to have the ability to think quickly, to adapt). That’s a strength in such a time.

“I have a special thought for all the young entrepreneurs who will most probably have to close their business and start something from scratch. Every tunnel has an end. Keep fighting and be united! The recovery relies on you.”