January 16 2003, 10:14 UNIAN

Growth in production of Ukrainian farm sector was less than 3 pc in 2002 - Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister

Growth in production of Ukrainian farm sector was less than 3 percent in 2002, against 9.8 percent in 2001 and 9.2 percent in 2000, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for Agriculture Ivan Kyrylenko said to parliamentary hearings "About the progress of reforming and measures for improving situation in the countryside".

Growth in output of food processing industry enterprises in 2001 was 9 percent against 18 percent in 2001 and 26 percent in 2000, he said.

He also said that more than 40% of Ukrainian farming and food processing enterprises had ended up the year with losses.

Accounts receivable of Ukrainian farming businesses are about 3 billion hryvnias ($562.5 million), accounts payable - 5 billion hryvnias ($937.6 million). As a result, real incomes of those employed in farming industry are not growing, Kyrylenko said.