October 21, 2013

Ukraine's agricultural production shows steady increase over the years

Ukraine has shown a steady increase in agricultural production over the years where the industry achieved a record high production of crop and livestock thereby overcoming the negative trends in dairy and beef cattle.

This is according to Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Prysyazhnyuk.

Prysyazhnyuk said, "The agricultural sector demonstrates continuous and steady growth of gross production. During the first eight months of the year, it was 13.3% compared to the same period last year."

Over the past three years, the country achieved a maximum historical performance in grain production - from 56.7 million tonnes in 2011 to 60 million this year, the Minister said.

He said that crops cover 82% of the total area, and harvests have amounted to over 46 million tonnes of grain. A total of about 23 million tonnes of wheat has been harvested. This has fully provides the food needs of the country, as well as exports. And in general this year, the average yield in Ukraine increased by 42%, he added.

The Minister noted that significant advances are observed not only in plant, but also in animal husbandry. "Ukraine has managed to overcome negative trends in the dairy industry. This year, the index rate is 4.8%," he said.