Agriculture

Favourable geographic conditions have made Ukraine one of the most fertile regions of the world and the country has traditionally been rich in agricultural production. In the past, much of this production was exported and for centuries Ukraine was known as the 'granary of Europe'. In recent years, however, the relative importance of agriculture in the Ukrainian economy has fallen: whereas in 1923-4 the sector accounted for 56% of Soviet Ukraine's national income, in recent years the contribution of agriculture (inc. forestry) to Ukraine's GDP has been around 10%.

In 2005 the largest segments of Ukraine's gross agricultural production, by value, were as follows:

Grains	25.3%
Potatoes and vegetables	23.0%
Fruits	4.1%

Livestock (for slaughter)	17.3%
Milk	13.8%
Eggs	4.7%