News
06.11.2009
Ag producers hurrying to get aid from the State Budget
The Ministry of Agriculture is speeding up the disbursement of the budget-envisaged state support to peasants: just 2 months remain till the end of 2009 and it will be difficult to distribute this money among regions and individual producers for this time. The state subsidies are vital for generating the peasant profit in many agricultural sectors and a shortage in these subsidies may force farmers to adjust their plans for the next season.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy is preparing an appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers asking to pay agricultural producer subsidies provided for by the Y2008 Budget. The most urgent disbursements are needed for support to the crop and animal sectors as the heaviest debts are registered under these support programs.
According to Grygoriy Zub, Director of the Ag Ministry’s financial department, the government failed to pay over UAH 400 Ml out of the promised money in the animal sector alone. So, only UAH 20 Ml of cattle population subsidies was disbursed out of the stipulated UAH 190 Ml. About UAH 86 Ml of subsidies for the Y2008 gain in cattle population still remains unpaid. And another UAH 170 Ml is indebted under the item “for cattle population” from the general fund.
The Ministry’s representatives say the payments are necessary to close to the volumes and terms stipulated by the budgetary schedule. “We are worried about the problem of allocating money from the Stabilization Fund. Out of the stipulated UAH 2.2 Bl, we have received UAH 260 Ml to date,” said Ag Minister Yuriy Melnyk.
