"Our Ukraine" Press,  www.razom.org.ua,  Kyiv, Ukraine, 20-02-04

The current government is trying to pass this situation off as a crisis in the agricultural sector but it is really a crisis in the agricultural policy," Yushchenko is convinced.

According to the leader of "Our Ukraine," however, the situation may turn to worse if no measures are taken in the near future: "This year can be devastating for agriculture. Preparations for the spring season have to be carried out under tough conditions: additional money needs to be found for re-seeding some of the fields since close to 30 percent of winter wheat and 80 percent of winter barley have been damaged by unfavorable weather conditions.

However, financing for the agricultural sector today stands only at 10-15 percent of the requirement. It also needs to be taken into consideration that agricultural equipment also needs to be repaired or renewed."

"A draconian law that taxes income from the sale of produce from private gardens or orchards has already been implemented. But 60% of agricultural products are produced in private households. Through such brutal and unthinkable policy the government is destroying small agricultural businesses, which, by the way, employ 2.5 million of Ukrainians.

If the alarm is not sounded immediately, we will have to deal with the consequences as early as the spring when a sharp decline of agricultural production will occur because people will have stopped producing for the open market. That, in turn, will lead to increase of food prices, which also means a decline of socio-economic situation in rural areas," warned Yushchenko.

"Our Ukraine" stands for abolishing this inconsiderate and devastating law for the agrarians. A bill has been already registered that suggests abolishing taxation on income from private households," reported Victor Yushchenko.