OREANDA-NEWS. May 03, 2011. The Department of Food industry of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Ukraine jointly with the Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine is exploring the possibility of producing biofuels from potatoes. This was announced during a working trip to Poltava by the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Prysyazhnyuk.

"For the production of biofuels for domestic farmers we will activate potato industry. Now scientists are preparing estimates of economic feasibility of such production. New technology will be allowed to provide farmers by biofuels, and efficient use of potatoes produced in Ukraine, - Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said.

According to the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, today Ukrainian consumes 6 million tons of vegetables in the production of 19-20 million tons.

"Of these, 5 million tons is for seed fund and the rest - in waste and fed to pigs and other livestock. This use of potatoes is totally ineffective", - Mykola Prysyazhnyuk noted.

He added that it would be better if private producers feed cattle with feed mix.