Ukrainian farmers have harvested 25.6 million tons of grain, Director of the Agriculture Ministry's Department for Economic Development and Rural Market Serhiy Kvasha said during the Kyiv-Moscow-Astana teleconference.

"As of August 7, a total of 25.8 million tons of grain was harvested in Ukraine, including 16.2 million tons of wheat, 7.1 million tons of barley and about 700 thousand tons of rye," the official said.

According to him, this quantity of grain is sufficient to ensure food security of the state. In addition, it is guaranteed by the transition grain reserves of around 1.2 million tons, as well as the ability of the Agrarian Fund to buy an additional of 800 thousand tons through forward purchases this year.

At the same time, Kvasha informed that the Ministry of Agricultural Policy and Food estimated farmers' losses from a shortage of wheat and barley crop this year, which is equal to 10,267 million UAH.

"Thus, in the steppe zone the shortfall is 5,031 thousand tons (in last year's prices this is 200,756 million), in the forest steppe zone 875 thousand tons, which is worth 1,528 million UAH. In the forest zone the result is positive, i.e. this year's crop is greater than last year's, and the income increased, respectively," the department head said.

In his opinion, farmers can reduce losses by increasing the prices for grain.



Ukrinform