Ukraine threshed 35.3 million tonnes of grain by September 9, 2011, from 11.6 million hectares, which was 75% of the target, according to the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry.
The average yield of grain crops across the country was 30.5 centners (one metric centner equals 100 kilograms, or 220.46 pounds) per hectare against 25 centners per hectare as of the same date in 2010.
Farmers threshed 272,000 tonnes of maize from 57,000 hectares (2% of the target). Its average yield is 47.6 centners per hectare (38.1 centners per hectare in 2010).
Buckwheat was harvested from 188,000 hectares (63% of the target). Its harvest was 215,000 with the average yield being 11.4 centners per hectare against 8.4 centners per hectare. Millet was gathered from 128,000 hectares (78% of the target), the harvest was 252,000 tonnes of millet with the average yield being 19.6 centners per hectare (15.4 centners per hectare in 2010).
Farmers are still harvesting technical crops. In particular, as of September 9, 2011, they threshed 1.3 million tonnes of sunflower seeds from 723,000 hectares (16% of the target). Their average yield is 17.5 centners per hectare, against 15.2 centners per hectare.
Soybeans were gathered from 113,000 hectares (10% of the target), 222,000 tonnes of soybeans were harvested with a yield being 19.6 centners per hectare (13.9 centners per hectare in 2010).
As of September 9, 2011, farmers also gathered 893,000 tonnes of sugar beets from 25,000 hectares. Its average yield was 354 centners per hectare against 309 centners per hectare in 2010.
As was reported, the agriculture ministry predicts that the yield of grain in Ukraine in 2011 will exceed 50 million tonnes. Last year Ukraine harvested 39.3 million tonnes of grain.
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Russia puts squeeze on Ukraine over gas
Ukrainian leaders hope to cut use of expensive imports.
Relations between Russia and Ukraine are strained yet again over the price of natural gas.
Ukraine is threatening to challenge the validity of its 2009 contract with Russia’s Gazprom, brokered then by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is now jailed and on trial for alleged abuse of office in relation to the deal.
The agreement, which Russia says is valid and fair, puts Ukraine in a tough financial position. The price of 1,000 cubic meters of gas could rise to as high as $450 this year – eating up 20 percent of the state budget for the pricey import that fuels Ukraine’s heavy industries, according to President Viktor Yanukovych, Tymoshenko bitter rival.
It’s simply too much for Ukraine’s economy to bear, Yanukovych added.
“Ukraine pays around $200 more [per 1,000 cubic meters] for gas than Germany does,” Yanukovych told Kommersant business daily in a Sept.6 interview.
The president said the nation is ready to appeal to either the international court in Stockholm or The Hague for revocation of the contract.
However, Ukraine’s leverage over the gas deal appeared to weaken as Moscow on Sept. 6 gleefully trumpeted the opening of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which traverses the Baltic Sea bed connecting Russia and Germany. When the twin pipes are fully operational next year, the lines are expected to carry up to 55 billion cubic meters of gas.
The pipeline potentially threatens Ukraine’s privileged status as the transit nation for 80 percent of Russia’s natural gas supplies to Europe.
Russia supplies about a quarter of Europe’s natural gas needs. Ukraine makes billions of dollars in transit fees each year, transporting about 100 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe.
The current transit fees are $2.89 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas per 100 kilometers.
Russia is also threatening to bypass Ukraine on its southern side by seeking to build the South Stream pipeline on the Black Sea bed.
Russia said that cheaper gas can only come to Ukraine if its smaller neighbor joins the Moscow-led customs union with Kazakhstan and Belarus.
The trade grouping is fundamentally at odds with Ukraine’s desire to clinch a free-trade agreement with the European Union before year’s end.
“It seems to me that we have made a clear offer: if you want a gas discount, you must join the integrated zone…or you must make a business offer that has benefits for Russia, for example, the sale of the gas transport grid,” said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Aug. 31.
Penta think tank head Volodymyr Fesenko said that “it is obvious that Russia is not ready for any kind of compromise yet.”
Ukraine says it won’t sell its transit pipelines to Russia, nor will it merge state energy monopoly Naftogaz with Russian behemoth Gazprom. In fact, Ukraine is on the verge of breaking up Naftogaz into separate companies involved in transport, trade and extraction.
The rhetoric is heating up. On Aug. 31, Russia’s Perviy Kanal (First Channel) accused Yanukovych of lobbying the interests of Ukrainian oligarchs, the billionaire owners of Ukraine’s energy-guzzling steel and chemical plants, at the expense of relations with Russia.
Yanukovych appears to be getting the same Kremlin-engineered PR savagery as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko did when he showed reluctance to join the customs union. Lukashenko quickly fell in line with Moscow’s aims, even losing control of his nation’s gas transit pipelines to Russia.
During the Sept. 6 launch of Nord Stream, Putin boasted that the Baltic corridor “will deprive Ukraine of its status of exclusive transporter of Russian gas to Europe.” However, analysts say that Nord Stream is not quite the threat to Ukraine that the Kremlin claims it is.
“Ukraine has always transported Russian gas to Central and Southern Europe, but never to Western and Northern EU countries, which would now get gas via Nord Stream.
Russia will not have any alternative to Ukrainian pipelines in foreseeable future,” said Yuriy Korolchuk, an expert at the Kyiv-based Institute of Energy Research.
Warning that it simply can’t afford expensive Russian gas anymore, Ukrainian officials announced days ago that they had asked Gazprom to accept a reduction of annual supplies starting next year from 40 to 27 billion cubic meters.
Kyiv also warned that if Russia does not reduce its prices to reasonable levels, it would in future years cut imports further to about 12 billion cubic meters, compensating with domestic production and imports of liquefied natural gas from Azerbaijan.
“During next 5 years we plan to consume three times less Russian gas and substitute it [partially] with Ukrainian coal,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said recently.
Russia’s three-week gas shutoff to Ukraine in January 2009 cut supplies to 18 European countries, raising concerns about the reliability of the Russia-Ukraine-Europe network.
The new conflict is coming at a pivotal time in the Ukraine-EU relationship. Ukraine is seeing an association agreement that includes a free-trade deal and a relaxation of stringent visa rules.
“There will be a lot of arm twisting in the EU about that. Under the Polish presidency Ukraine has strong chances to get associate agreement if Ukraine will be wise and will not fuel a new gas war and give Tymoshenko suspended sentence,” said Edward Lucas, editor at The Economist and author of The New Cold War book.
Political analyst Vadym Karasyov said the “Yanukovych administration faces a very tough situation. On the one side they have Russia which criticizes them and protects Tymoshenko.On the other hand there is Europe which also criticizes and protects Tymoshenko. But to spare Tymoshenko is to free an opponent, who can now get both Russian and European support.”
In the end, Ukraine can come out of the tough period in better shape – if it increases its domestic share of energy supply, attracts investment to upgrade its vast but inefficient transit pipelines and uses energy more efficiently.
“The real point is that Ukraine needs to reform its gas industry. Corruption around Naftogaz and mismanagement in Ukraine give Russia the opportunity to use this situation,” Lucas said.
Vitaliy Bala, director of the Situations Modeling Agency, said a new pragmatism is welcome.
“Myths about brotherhood [with Russia] are not working anymore. We became pragmatic in our attitude towards Russia,” Bala said. “The most important thing for Ukraine now is to be firm and demand to be treated like an equal.”
Relations between Russia and Ukraine are strained yet again over the price of natural gas.
Ukraine is threatening to challenge the validity of its 2009 contract with Russia’s Gazprom, brokered then by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is now jailed and on trial for alleged abuse of office in relation to the deal.
The agreement, which Russia says is valid and fair, puts Ukraine in a tough financial position. The price of 1,000 cubic meters of gas could rise to as high as $450 this year – eating up 20 percent of the state budget for the pricey import that fuels Ukraine’s heavy industries, according to President Viktor Yanukovych, Tymoshenko bitter rival.
It’s simply too much for Ukraine’s economy to bear, Yanukovych added.
“Ukraine pays around $200 more [per 1,000 cubic meters] for gas than Germany does,” Yanukovych told Kommersant business daily in a Sept.6 interview.
The president said the nation is ready to appeal to either the international court in Stockholm or The Hague for revocation of the contract.
However, Ukraine’s leverage over the gas deal appeared to weaken as Moscow on Sept. 6 gleefully trumpeted the opening of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which traverses the Baltic Sea bed connecting Russia and Germany. When the twin pipes are fully operational next year, the lines are expected to carry up to 55 billion cubic meters of gas.
The pipeline potentially threatens Ukraine’s privileged status as the transit nation for 80 percent of Russia’s natural gas supplies to Europe.
Russia supplies about a quarter of Europe’s natural gas needs. Ukraine makes billions of dollars in transit fees each year, transporting about 100 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe.
The current transit fees are $2.89 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas per 100 kilometers.
Russia is also threatening to bypass Ukraine on its southern side by seeking to build the South Stream pipeline on the Black Sea bed.
Russia said that cheaper gas can only come to Ukraine if its smaller neighbor joins the Moscow-led customs union with Kazakhstan and Belarus.
The trade grouping is fundamentally at odds with Ukraine’s desire to clinch a free-trade agreement with the European Union before year’s end.
“It seems to me that we have made a clear offer: if you want a gas discount, you must join the integrated zone…or you must make a business offer that has benefits for Russia, for example, the sale of the gas transport grid,” said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Aug. 31.
Penta think tank head Volodymyr Fesenko said that “it is obvious that Russia is not ready for any kind of compromise yet.”
Ukraine says it won’t sell its transit pipelines to Russia, nor will it merge state energy monopoly Naftogaz with Russian behemoth Gazprom. In fact, Ukraine is on the verge of breaking up Naftogaz into separate companies involved in transport, trade and extraction.
The rhetoric is heating up. On Aug. 31, Russia’s Perviy Kanal (First Channel) accused Yanukovych of lobbying the interests of Ukrainian oligarchs, the billionaire owners of Ukraine’s energy-guzzling steel and chemical plants, at the expense of relations with Russia.
Yanukovych appears to be getting the same Kremlin-engineered PR savagery as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko did when he showed reluctance to join the customs union. Lukashenko quickly fell in line with Moscow’s aims, even losing control of his nation’s gas transit pipelines to Russia.
During the Sept. 6 launch of Nord Stream, Putin boasted that the Baltic corridor “will deprive Ukraine of its status of exclusive transporter of Russian gas to Europe.” However, analysts say that Nord Stream is not quite the threat to Ukraine that the Kremlin claims it is.
“Ukraine has always transported Russian gas to Central and Southern Europe, but never to Western and Northern EU countries, which would now get gas via Nord Stream.
Russia will not have any alternative to Ukrainian pipelines in foreseeable future,” said Yuriy Korolchuk, an expert at the Kyiv-based Institute of Energy Research.
Warning that it simply can’t afford expensive Russian gas anymore, Ukrainian officials announced days ago that they had asked Gazprom to accept a reduction of annual supplies starting next year from 40 to 27 billion cubic meters.
Kyiv also warned that if Russia does not reduce its prices to reasonable levels, it would in future years cut imports further to about 12 billion cubic meters, compensating with domestic production and imports of liquefied natural gas from Azerbaijan.
“During next 5 years we plan to consume three times less Russian gas and substitute it [partially] with Ukrainian coal,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said recently.
Russia’s three-week gas shutoff to Ukraine in January 2009 cut supplies to 18 European countries, raising concerns about the reliability of the Russia-Ukraine-Europe network.
The new conflict is coming at a pivotal time in the Ukraine-EU relationship. Ukraine is seeing an association agreement that includes a free-trade deal and a relaxation of stringent visa rules.
“There will be a lot of arm twisting in the EU about that. Under the Polish presidency Ukraine has strong chances to get associate agreement if Ukraine will be wise and will not fuel a new gas war and give Tymoshenko suspended sentence,” said Edward Lucas, editor at The Economist and author of The New Cold War book.
Political analyst Vadym Karasyov said the “Yanukovych administration faces a very tough situation. On the one side they have Russia which criticizes them and protects Tymoshenko.On the other hand there is Europe which also criticizes and protects Tymoshenko. But to spare Tymoshenko is to free an opponent, who can now get both Russian and European support.”
In the end, Ukraine can come out of the tough period in better shape – if it increases its domestic share of energy supply, attracts investment to upgrade its vast but inefficient transit pipelines and uses energy more efficiently.
“The real point is that Ukraine needs to reform its gas industry. Corruption around Naftogaz and mismanagement in Ukraine give Russia the opportunity to use this situation,” Lucas said.
Vitaliy Bala, director of the Situations Modeling Agency, said a new pragmatism is welcome.
“Myths about brotherhood [with Russia] are not working anymore. We became pragmatic in our attitude towards Russia,” Bala said. “The most important thing for Ukraine now is to be firm and demand to be treated like an equal.”
Tymoshenko verdict could be aired live
The Pechersky District Court in Kyiv has allowed the television broadcast of the trial in the gas case during the announcement of the verdict to former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, as well as photographing and video taping by reporters of what is happening in the courtroom.
The decision was announced by presiding judge Rodion Kireyev on Thursday after he examined a request from Tymoshenko's lawyers, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent said.
At the same time, state prosecutors were not against allowing the photographing and video taping of the court debates
.
The decision was announced by presiding judge Rodion Kireyev on Thursday after he examined a request from Tymoshenko's lawyers, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent said.
At the same time, state prosecutors were not against allowing the photographing and video taping of the court debates
.
Yanukovych signs pension reform law
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed the law of Ukraine on pension reform, reads a posting on the president's Web site on Friday.
On July 8 this year 248 Members of Parliament voted for the law submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers.
The document amended 22 legal acts, including the laws on compulsory state pension insurance, on pension provision, on non-governmental pension provision, on state social aid to persons that have no right for pensions and people with disabilities, on the prosecutor's office, on pension provision for persons dismissed from military service and some other persons, on state service, on scientific and research and engineering activity, on service at local governments, on status of people's deputy of Ukraine, on the judicial system and status of judges.
The pension reform will take effect on October 1, 2011.
On July 8 this year 248 Members of Parliament voted for the law submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers.
The document amended 22 legal acts, including the laws on compulsory state pension insurance, on pension provision, on non-governmental pension provision, on state social aid to persons that have no right for pensions and people with disabilities, on the prosecutor's office, on pension provision for persons dismissed from military service and some other persons, on state service, on scientific and research and engineering activity, on service at local governments, on status of people's deputy of Ukraine, on the judicial system and status of judges.
The pension reform will take effect on October 1, 2011.
Yanukovych orders reduction in staff of government agencies in regions
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed a decree on some issues linked to the optimization of the system of central and local executive government agencies, the presidential press service reported on Friday.
Under the decree, the Cabinet of Ministers should approve by October 15, 2011 the maximum number of employees working in the regional offices of ministries and agencies.
"Ministries and other central executive government agencies should analyze the implementation of regulations and orders by the president of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine concerning the optimization of the system of central executive government agencies and submit within two weeks the proposals on amending the provisions on central executive government agencies, which were approved by presidential decrees, in particular, bringing the number of deputy heads of central executive government agencies into line with the law of Ukraine on central executive government agencies and specifying, if necessary, the powers of these agencies, as well as put forward proposals to optimize the mechanism for the implementation of public policy at the local level, including the functioning of the regional offices of ministries and other central executive government agencies," reads the decree posted on the official Web site of the Ukrainian president.
Under the decree, the Cabinet of Ministers should approve by October 15, 2011 the maximum number of employees working in the regional offices of ministries and agencies.
"Ministries and other central executive government agencies should analyze the implementation of regulations and orders by the president of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine concerning the optimization of the system of central executive government agencies and submit within two weeks the proposals on amending the provisions on central executive government agencies, which were approved by presidential decrees, in particular, bringing the number of deputy heads of central executive government agencies into line with the law of Ukraine on central executive government agencies and specifying, if necessary, the powers of these agencies, as well as put forward proposals to optimize the mechanism for the implementation of public policy at the local level, including the functioning of the regional offices of ministries and other central executive government agencies," reads the decree posted on the official Web site of the Ukrainian president.
Thursday, 1 September 2011
PM: Ukraine Plans Two-Thirds Cut In Natural Gas Imports From Russia Due To Price
KIEV, Ukraine -- Prime Minister Mykola Azarov says Ukraine is planning to reduce imports of Russian natural gas by two-thirds because the price is too high.
Azarov said Tuesday that Ukraine has no choice but to increase coal production over the next few years to make up for Russian gas shipments.
Kiev is seeking to revise a gas agreement with Moscow, signed by the previous government in 2009.
Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is on trial for abusing office in signing the contract.
She denies the charges, claiming they are politically motivated.
Ukraine is Russia’s key route to export gas to Europe, but Moscow has been anxious to cut its reliance on Ukrainian pipelines.
Kiev’s move could prompt Moscow further to pursue other export routes.
Kiev is seeking to revise a gas agreement with Moscow, signed by the previous government in 2009.
Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is on trial for abusing office in signing the contract.
She denies the charges, claiming they are politically motivated.
Ukraine is Russia’s key route to export gas to Europe, but Moscow has been anxious to cut its reliance on Ukrainian pipelines.
Kiev’s move could prompt Moscow further to pursue other export routes.
Ukraine General Claims Ex-President Kuchma 'Ordered Reporter's Murder'
KIEV, Ukraine -- The main suspect in the notorious murder of Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze in 2000 has alleged that former President Leonid Kuchma ordered the killing.
Olexiy Pukach, who has confessed to carrying out the killing, testified in court on Tuesday that he was acting on Kuchma's orders, according to a witness in the trial that is closed to the public.
Pukach, a former general at the Ministry of the Interior, was arrested in 2009 after six years on the run and was said by Ukrainian prosecutors to have confessed to personally strangling and beheading Gongadze.
"He clearly said: it was Kuchma," the witness, Olexiy Podolskyi, told RIA Novosti.
Gongadze, an outspoken critic of then President Kuchma, was kidnapped and his headless body was found months later in a forest in September 2000.
The slaying shocked Ukraine and sparked massive street protests.
Three policemen were jailed for the murder in 2008.
Vyktor Petrunenko, Kuchma's defense lawyer, denied the allegations, saying he has firm evidence to confirm the former president's innocence.
Pukach, the head of the ministry's surveillance department at the time of the killing, said Kuchma was in collusion with current parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn and former Interior Minister Yuri Kravchenko, now dead.
Prosecutors said last year Kravchenko "instigated and ordered" the crime.
In a separate investigation in March, Kuchma was charged with abuse of power over the murder.
Secret tape recordings were released soon after the killing, in which Kuchma is heard discussing with Kravchenko ways of removing the reporter.
Pukach, a former general at the Ministry of the Interior, was arrested in 2009 after six years on the run and was said by Ukrainian prosecutors to have confessed to personally strangling and beheading Gongadze.
"He clearly said: it was Kuchma," the witness, Olexiy Podolskyi, told RIA Novosti.
Gongadze, an outspoken critic of then President Kuchma, was kidnapped and his headless body was found months later in a forest in September 2000.
The slaying shocked Ukraine and sparked massive street protests.
Three policemen were jailed for the murder in 2008.
Vyktor Petrunenko, Kuchma's defense lawyer, denied the allegations, saying he has firm evidence to confirm the former president's innocence.
Pukach, the head of the ministry's surveillance department at the time of the killing, said Kuchma was in collusion with current parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn and former Interior Minister Yuri Kravchenko, now dead.
Prosecutors said last year Kravchenko "instigated and ordered" the crime.
In a separate investigation in March, Kuchma was charged with abuse of power over the murder.
Secret tape recordings were released soon after the killing, in which Kuchma is heard discussing with Kravchenko ways of removing the reporter.
Kravchenko was found dead in 2005, with two bullets to the head, and was said to have committed suicide.
Valentyna Telychenko, a lawyer for Gongadze's widow, Myroslava, said Pukach claimed he had "saved Ukraine" by preventing a government coup that Gongadze had been allegedly plotting with two other journalists.
Valentyna Telychenko, a lawyer for Gongadze's widow, Myroslava, said Pukach claimed he had "saved Ukraine" by preventing a government coup that Gongadze had been allegedly plotting with two other journalists.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)