OREANDA-NEWS. July 21, 2011. It is necessary to develop a program of restoring the production of agricultural machinery and technical upgrading of the agricultural sector, President Viktor Yanukovych said at a meeting with Minister for Agriculture and Food of Ukraine Mykola Prysyazhnyuk.

According to the Minister, during the meeting the President also set the task to develop a new program of agricultural land reclamation. Mykola Prysyazhnyuk reminded that there are more than 2 million hectares of land needing reclamation in Ukraine.

In addition, the progress of land reform in Ukraine was discussed. According to Mykola Prysyazhnyuk, Viktor Yanukovych stressed the importance of explaining the reform to land owners and local communities. "This issue is important enough, and the President keeps it under his personal control," Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said.

According to the Minister, active discussion of the final stage of land reform begins now. By early September, it is necessary to collect all the suggestions and comments, analyze them and take them into account when developing the law of the land market, he said.

Mykola Prysyazhnyuk also reported to the President on the grain harvesting in Ukraine. According to him, 14 million tons of grain has been collected. The Minister noted that this year's crop increased 15-17% compared with 2010.