September 2 2003, 08:41 APK-Inform

Mass scale cut-outs of livestock are underway in Poltava Region

Farmers of Poltava region are slaughtering livestock on a mass-scale basis, because of financial constraints they appeared in due to low grain crop in 2003. They now intend to compensate the costs of replanting the killed winter crops this spring and to draw funds for completion of autumn fieldwork.

According to the Chief of regional farm department Oleksandr Sen', in January-June this year agricultural producers in the region cut the head of livestock by 10 percent or 50,760 heads compared with the same period of 2002 - down to 183,600 heads.

According to the state regional administration, in the first half year of 2003 the head of cows in the region decreased 8.7 percent from the same period last year, the head of hogs - 9.6 percent, of sheep and goats - 7.3 percent, of all kinds of poultry - 3.9 percent.