Ukraine will not supply combine harvesters to occupied Crimea / Photo from UNIAN
There will be no prospects of Ukraine supplying combine harvesters to Crimea, while the peninsula is occupied by the Russian Federation, according to Oleksandr Liev, advisor to the minister of agrarian policy and food, nv.ua reports.
The official also warned of the private agricultural business that transfer technology to the peninsula will mean an actual loss of property. "It is known that some agricultural companies from Western Ukraine are taking part in these negotiations. Those who, in pursuit of excess profits, are going to supply [harvesting] machinery to the peninsula and cooperate with the occupation authorities should be prepared that this machinery will not return back, with an almost 100% probability. Before voicing such requests, the so-called Crimean authorities would have to start returning what had been stolen from Ukraine," said Adviser to the Minister.
Alexander Liev also said that Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine has informed the Border Guard Service and the Customs on the official position regarding this issue. "Given that the territory of Crimea is beyond [Ukraine’s] control, we consider it impossible to let combine harvesters pass across the border to the peninsula", he stressed.
The advisor to the minister of agriculture also said that more than 100 Ukrainian harvesters have been seized in Crimea and remain on the peninsula. About 80 of them belong to Spetsagroleasing state company.
According to Liev, due to the catastrophic reduction of irrigated land, as well as a lack of machinery, Crimea may see its record low harvest this year, which significantly affect the food security of the peninsula.