Agricultural complex could become one of the priority areas of cooperation between the Crimea and Spain.

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Anatoliy Mohyliov said this during his meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Spain to Ukraine Jose Rodriguez Moyano, the press service of the Crimean government reported.

Ukraine’s government says it has found a solution for doing its part to address food security in a world that will need to produce 1 billion tons more cereal and 270 million tons more meat annually to feed 9 billion mouths by 2050.

Ukrainian and Dutch experts have exchanged experiences on land consolidation and implementation of the Capacity Building by Technical Assistance to Programming of Ukrainian Land Development Project (CATAPULD), the State Agency for Land resources said in a statement on Monday.

The Ukrainian parliament has refused to extend a moratorium on the sale of agricultural land until January 1, 2014.

The agricultural producers can get the necessary circulating assets as budgetary loans secured by the grain at low lending rates of National Bank at 6.8% per annum. This is provided by Government Resolution ¹ 859 “On setting for 2012/13 marketing period, amount of fee for the use of budgetary borrowing by grain producers within the regime of government mortgage purchases” dated September 17, 2012. That was declared by Mykola Prysyazhnyuk, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food. 

The Government proposes a number of changes to the legislation in order to create more favorable conditions for agricultural service cooperatives. The relevant draft law of Ukraine «On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine» On Agricultural Cooperation” was approved on Sept. 17 by the Cabinet of Ministers. As for today in accordance with applicable law, some serving agricultural cooperatives registered and operate as non-profit organizations, and some — like lucrative although the nature of these associations are non-profit nature.

Food industry of Ukraine demonstrates the dynamic growth, and 23 thousand domestic companies meet fully needs of the domestic market, deputy minister of agrarian policy and food of Ukraine Oleksandr Sen told a meeting “Food industry of Ukraine: its state and readiness for the future challenges,” ForUm correspondent reported. 

The Verkhovna Rada has cancelled a bill on establishment of the State Land Bank during the second reading. 297 MPs voted in favour of its cancellation, ForUm correspondent reported.

Agricultural output in Ukraine in January-June this year increased by 7.4% compared to the corresponding period last year, and in particular the increase in production at commercial farms was 11.8%, while that at private farms was 4.4%, the State Statistical Service of Ukraine has said.

The World Bank is concerned that the drought in Ukraine, and the United States, Russia and Kazakhstan, and continuous rains in many European countries will lead to an increase of prices for food products. The organization notes that due to bad weather conditions and the lack of rains in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, the future harvest volumes of grains decreased. In 2012, since mid-June wheat prices increased by over 50%, and the prices for maize – up over 45%, said the Bank.