OREANDA-NEWS. June 24, 2010. Speaking at texpanded meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, President Viktor Yanukovych stressed that the state should provide farmers with more efficient support during the harvest time.

"Harvesting has already begun in the southern regions. It is extremely important to support farmers in this period, so I request taking all the measures to provide budgetary funding, repayment of debts to farmers in partial compensation of interest on loans and prevent accumulation of debts on other programs supporting agriculture," he said.

President Yanukovych also instructed Agrarian Policy Minister Mykola Prysyazhniuk to improve cooperation with financial institutions, the National Bank and the Government in helping farmers to solve their financial problems. He stressed that "farmers must get the appropriate market price for their products."

"The Agricultural Fund, whose functions are now being reorganized by the Government, should prevent the attempts to profiteer from the collected harvest as well as last year’s reckless theft of grain," said President Yanukovych. He instructed the Prosecutor General's Office and chairmen of law-enforcement authorities present at the meeting to investigate the case and provide that the state receives compensations.

Viktor Yanukovych has also instructed National Bank Chairman Volodymyr Stelmakh to study the possibility of providing farmers with affordable loans during the harvest season. According to the same instruction, the Government jointly with regional governors are to identify directions to reduce lending rates on.