KIEV, August 4 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine plans to increase exports of its agricultural produce in 2013, Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Nikolai Prisyazhnyuk said.
“Agricultural produce accounts for 23 percent of Ukraine’s exports,” he said. “This year, the foreign trade balance of agricultural produce will go up at least to 11 billion U.S. dollars.” In his words, it will make it possible for the agrarian sector “to consolidate its positions in the three Ukrainian economy sectors which have surplus balance.”
The global agricultural produce and food market now “is the toughest and most strictly regulated,” he noted. “So, Ukraine has to face strong rivals, and we are succeeding in this.”
In 2012, Ukraine’s foreign trade turnover in farming products went up by 31.4 percent to reach 26.1 billion U.S. dollars. Farming products accounted for 26.5 percent of Ukraine’s exports (18.2 billion U.S. dollars). Imports stood at 9.5 percent (7.9 billion U.S. dollars). Thus, the trade surplus was 10.3 billion U.S. dollars.