At least UAH 20 billion is required to give state support to the Ukrainian agro-industrial complex from the national budget for 2015, Agricultural Policy and Food Minister of Ukraine Ihor Shvaika has said.

"We asked for UAH 20 billion for the budget for 2015," he told reporters in Truskavets on Tuesday.

He said that the top-priority directions would be the compensation of credit rates to farmers, partial compensation of expenses on the construction of livestock breeding complexes and state support in the insurance of the livestock breeding and crop planting segments.

"We need at least UAH 20 billion to cover the expenses that exist in the Agrarian Fund, support programs, subsidize credit rates, and pay off the previous debt," the minister said.