Sugar, Butter, and Reforms Have Let Us Down Again

Moreover, according to Lytvytsky, production fall in the food industry slowed and "growth could have been registered, but sugar let us down" (as is well known, there were problems with sugar beet processing in those few Ukrainian sugar plants, which somehow continue to operate. There were also some problems in foreign trade with Russia.) We should note that butter also let us down. Everything was fine, but its price tripled.

Prime Minister Valery Pustovoitenko also continues to see the silver lining in dark clouds. He noted a slight increase in production of oil producing plants, flax fiber, potatoes, vegetables, milk, and eggs. At the same time, he added, cattle and chicken sales volume dropped 12% (this is a sector, where the presidential aide noted that the rate of production fall had slowed), grain production to 21%, and sugar beet to 9,4%. And all this despite the fact that, according to the Prime Minister, "a structure badly managed, inert, with huge debts, and unattractive to investors has been created (who created it?) in the absolute majority of agriculture."

Agricultural reforms have yielded no results, and again we rely on the industry of peasant farmers. Incidentally, do you know what Ukrainian reforms are? It is when they take your jacket off, put on a vest and say, "Congratulations for your new coat." Incidentally, Leonid Kuchma declared last week that he would sign an edict to revive (for the third time, it seems) the post of Deputy Prime Minister for the agro-industrial complex. Nothing is likely to change in this connection in the agricultural branch, but who will be to blame will be chosen in advance.