OREANDA-NEWS  On 18 February the Minister of Agrarian Policy Yurii Melnyk informed planned by the Gov’t measures on production of agricultural produce, sowing of winter and spring crops for 2009 are carried out according to the schedule. He announced during a briefing in the Cabinet of Ministers.

The Minister expressed hopes 45 million tons of crops are planned to harvest in 2009, while increase in output of agricultural production can amount from 1.4% against the year 2008. 

Yurii Melnyk informed increase in agricultural production has amounted 100.5% in January of the current year as compared to 2008.

At the same time, on commenting expert evaluations concerning positive dynamics of the growth in agroindustrial complex, Yurii Melnyk stressed: “In Ukraine agroindustrial complex can be a branch which forms nutrition safety inside the country, a branch which can create a considerable trade balance of foreign economic operations, as well as a branch which regulates employment issues and a branch, capable to stimulate the development of other allied industries, in particular of chemical, machine-building, metallurgic, building domains”.

According to him, under united coordinated work of the Government, agricultural producers, deputies “the agrarian complex can become a locomotive for the whole economics this year”. “The Government and the Ministry are doing all the best to create favourable conditions that in the face of the financial downturn would enable to reach the planned showings in 2009,” Yurii Melnyk stressed.