Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has passed a bill amending the national budget for 2018, which cuts the financing of three programs to support agriculture by UAH 2.079 billion, to UAH 4.232 billion.

According to the explanatory note to the bill No. 9369 on the national budget of Ukraine for 2018, funding for the budget-sustained program to support the livestock industry decreases by UAH 979 million, to UAH 3.021 billion, support for farms - by UAH 850 million, to UAH 150 million, and support agricultural producers - by UAH 250 million, to UAH 695 million.

"We are categorically opposed to these changes. Those UAH 2 billion, which the government allegedly saved, should be paid to farmers. "Savings" arose solely as a result of the ugly distribution of funds, which actually left agricultural producers without government assistance. All the largest agricultural associations last year warned that everything would happen like that," Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council Mykhailo Sokolov said, commenting on the decision of the parliament.

The Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry, as of November 30, 2018, sent to agrarians UAH 2.577 billion out of UAH 6.311 billion provided from the budget for government support of the agro-industrial complex this year, which amounted to 41%.