Ukraine expects increased foreign agriculture investment

Ukraine, which drew more than 800 million U.S. dollars of foreign investment in agriculture projects last year, is seeking to attract even more funds in 2013, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Arbuzov said Tuesday. "Agriculture is one of the most attractive sectors of the economy, both in Ukraine and in the world. So this year we plan to attract about 3 billion of investment in the agricultural sector," Arbuzov was quoted by the government's press service as saying. Ukraine has advantages and favorable investment climate in such spheres as meat and dairy industry, horticulture and production of biofuels, Arbuzov said. According to him, companies from the European Union, China and other Asian countries intend to invest in the country's agriculture sector. Ukraine, one of Europe's leading exporters of food, increased its agricultural output to 27.6 billion dollars in 2012. The authorities set a target to boost Ukraine's agricultural output by 30 percent in the next decade.