STATE SUPPORT FOR AGRIBUSINESS DURING THE WAR: CURRENT STATUS AND PROSPECTS FOR LEGAL REGULATION

In the field of agricultural law, the matter of state support for agricultural production has historically been the focus of particular attention. Indeed, the development of the agricultural sector has enabled the country to not only overcome its internal food problems, but also to generate significant financial revenues, thus becoming one of the guarantors of global food security. At the same time, this sector of the economy remains significantly dependent on natural and climatic conditions and other factors determined by the life cycle of farm animals and plants. The full-scale war has significantly complicated agricultural activities: production and processing infrastructure and land reclamation networks have been destroyed; agricultural equipment has been lost; logistics links have been damaged; and a significant portion of agricultural land has been taken out of cultivation due to contamination, mining or occupation. In such conditions, it becomes particularly important to conduct a theoretical and legal analysis of legislation in this area, identify the main trends in its development, and carry out a legal assessment of the institutional framework for state support of the agricultural sector of the economy. The use of such scientific methods as philosophical (dialectical), general scientific (formal-logical, systematic analysis and synthesis) and special legal (comparative legal and formal legal) methods contributed to the solution of the research tasks. The study found that state financial support measures are unsystematic in nature. This is confirmed by the following. On the one hand, the legislation defines additional areas of agricultural activity that take into account the realities/consequences of the war. On the other hand, the amount of such support is being reduced in a number of areas. It should also be noted that changes in the legislation governing relations in this area are driven not only by the needs of agricultural producers, but also by Ukraine's international and European integration commitments. It appears that the practical implementation of environmental and social assessment of borrowers (especially micro and small agribusiness entities) for obtaining preferential lending, in the context of military operations and their difficult economic situation, is unlikely. A thorough investigation into the institutional support provided to the agricultural sector has been undertaken. The article posits the necessity of establishing a payment agency as a prerequisite for Ukraine to acquire the capacity to engage in processes pertaining to the provision of assistance for the development of rural areas for countries that are candidates for EU membership. The text goes on to argue that the dissolution of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine is an unnecessary measure. It is argued that in order to develop a unified approach to ensuring the proper functioning of the agricultural sector in wartime, a regulatory act (at the level of Ukrainian law) should be developed, which would define the main directions of state agricultural policy. The conclusions drawn may serve as a basis for further scientific research into legal relations concerning state support for the agricultural sector of Ukraine's economy.