October 12 2005, 17:00 APK-Inform

Yushchenko said "consequences of drought should be overcome in a shortest term", prized "successes in livestock breeding"

President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko declared that the consequences of this year's drought for the country's agro-industrial complex had to be overcome in a shortest possible term. He said this at a working meeting with Agrarian Policy Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Agriculture on Wednesday, informed presidential press-service.

Yushchenko reminded the attendees of the meeting that Ukraine had "proclaimed 2006 as "The Year of the Village" and the foundation of success of its implementation in the context of all farm-related industries development and solution of the urgent social needs of rural inhabitants is being laid in this year already".

Having heard the reports of Mr. Baranivsky and Mr. Melnyk (the AP Minister and VPM for Agriculture), the head of nation has appreciated the successes of Ukraine's agriculture, in particular - of livestock breeding sector.

The wordy, but in fact - devoid of any actual meaning declarations of Ukrainian President once being published have caused derisive reaction of many local observers.

"In which way are we supposed to "overcome the consequences of drought? Shall we have to take waterpots in our hands and water the 4 million hectares of crops?", said one of the discussants. "Which successes in livestock breeding did the President prize that highly, while Ukraine still has to import meat and the once-powerful breeding industry has been completely destroyed, with no signs of revival thus far," wrote another respondent.