Ukraine reached 92 percent of its spring planting target so far with 94 percent of winter crops in good condition, the Agricultural Ministry announced on April 16.
Interim Agriculture Minister Igor Shvayka, and member of the right-wing Svoboda party, met with journalists on April 16 to release these figures, but refused to provide them with an official crop forecast for the year. “The ministry does not make forecasts,” the minister said who has a legal, not farming background.
In previous years, the agricultural ministry issued regular forecasts, however.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture foresees Ukraine’s grain crop at 54.1 million tons in the 2013-2014 marketing year. Last year country had an all-time record, harvesting 61.5 million tons of grain.
When asked about the prospects of introducing private land ownership, Shvayka followed the party line: “the Ukrainian people will remain owners of Ukrainian land.”
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