State support for agricultural sector development in 2018.

On February 7, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved a mechanism for distributing funds for support of agriculture, foreseeing the cheapening of loans for construction of farms or compensation of a part of own funds of producers sent for this construction.

As Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said, this mechanism supports registered farmers.

"I'm talking about registered farms. Our goal is to have more of them. Registered farmers will receive loans at 1% in hryvnias for the period of up to five years. For the sawing campaign they will receive 100% compensation for the value of the seeds," he said.

At the initiative of the Cabinet of Ministers, under the farm support program, UAH 1 billion will be used to reduce the cost of credits: up to 1% of the credit rate for the purchase of equipment, breeding seeds, and the provision of consulting services.

The total amount of state support for agriculture in the 2018 budget will be UAH 7.3 billion compared with UAH 6.3 billion in 2017.

As the assistance from the state, it is planned to allocate UAH 4 billion for livestock support, UAH 945 million for a program of compensation of 25% of the cost of Ukrainian agricultural machinery to farmers, and UAH 1 billion for support to farms.

In addition, UAH 300 million is provided for the program to support the development of hop-growing, the laying of new orchards, vineyards and berries fields and care for them. UAH 66 million will be provided for the program of cheapening of credits, the expenses of the Agrarian Fund for storage, transportation, processing and export of products of the intervention fund amount to UAH 52 million.