March 14, 2011

Ukraine's food grain reserve reaches 1.5 million tonnes

Ukraine's food grain reserve has amounted to 1.5 million tonnes, which makes it possible to meet the country's needs for three months, Ukraine's Prime Minister Mykola Azarov stated.

"We have bought 1.3 million tonnes of grain for the agricultural fund and over 260,000 tonnes for the State Reserve. In other words, we have stored 1.5 million tonnes of food wheat, which can help us to go on for over a quarter, meeting the population's needs," the prime minister said.

Azarov said he deemed it necessary to create reserves of petrol and diesel.

"We are definitely going to do what the entire world, including the US, is doing: create strategic reserves of the materials for which there can be panic demand," he said.

Azarov said that the cabinet has instructed the State Reserve to buy around 50,000 tonnes of buckwheat.

According to expert estimates, Ukraine needs around 6.5 million tonnes of food grain annually.