July 26, 2012

Ukraine develops grain infrastructure on rising demand

The development of the grain infrastructure is being required as Ukraine's domestic and foreign markets demand for an increase in grain production.

Agriculture and Food Minister Mykola Prysiazhniuk told a briefing at the Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday (July 25), the Ministry's press service told UKRINFORM.

"About 629 certified grain elevators have been already working in Ukraine, of total storage capacity 28 million tonnes of grain, which enables to ensure storage and supply of grain and its products both for domestic needs and for exports. Over the previous year, another number of modern highly effective enterprises were put into exploitation of total storage capacity 647,500 tonnes of grain," the Minister said.

He stressed that currently the port infrastructure has been actively developed.

"Over 20 years, we have reoriented movement of export products to the sea. We see that the volumes of port elevators for grain trans-shipment increase. I would also like to stress that we actively increase the volume of services on the grain transit," the Minister noted.

The official noted that the state makes everything possible in order to give possibility for farmers and small grain producers to create cooperative grain elevators.

"The government will motivate creation of such elevators and will support cooperative movement as a whole. This will enable to increase grain storage volumes and to reduce storage losses.