Assignments

1. Read and translate the text into Ukrainian.

2. Render the text in English.

Agriculture

Agriculture is one of Ukraine's principal spheres of ma­terial production, supplying the population with foodstuffs and industry with raw materials.

Field-cropping is the main branch of agriculture in Ukraine. The characteristic features of present-day farming are its further specialization and the organization of field-crop growing on a scientific basis, making use of modern technical achievements. Among the important measures for raising the level of agriculture in Ukraine are the mechani­zation of plant-growing operations and large-scale applica­tion of progressive farming methods and devices.

Grain production is the main branch of field-crop culti­vation and determines the development of all other branches of agriculture. The basic grain crops grown in Ukraine are winter wheat, maize, winter rye, barley, buckwheat and millet. Winter wheat is sown all over the country. Rye is cultivated mainly in Polissya where it endures the unfa­vourable winter conditions better than winter wheat.

The main regions of sugar beet cultivation are Vinnytsya, Khmelnytsky, Cherkasy, Ternopil, Kyiv, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv and Sumy regions.

Fibre-flax is mainly grown in Zhytomyr, Lviv, Chernihiv, Volyn, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kyiv regions.

Tobacco growing is concentrated in the Crimean, Odesa, Ternopil and Chernivtsi regions.

Over 40 varieties of vegetables are cultivated in Ukraine. The largest areas are under cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, carrots, onions and garlic.

Fodder crops are an important source of feed for farm animals. Among them maize is a valuable crop.

Big homed cattle is one of the main branches of Ukraine's economy. Cattle breeding is the largest and most important branch of productive animal breeding in Ukraine.

The food industry of Ukraine comprises 40 different branches of production, the most important 6f which are the production of sugar, butter, meat, canned fish, oil, wines, bread and salt.

Hog raising and sheep breeding are developed all over Ukraine. Among other branches of agriculture poultry breed­ing is also important.

Certain aspects of the Ukrainian economy are weak: its ecology is in a precarious state. There is extensive loss of soil fertility. Ukrainian plants are outfitted with outmoded industrial equipment. There are many structural defects in the national economic complex. The service industries are underdeveloped, and there is an excessive emphasis on heavy industry and production. These problems may be resolved quickly owing to a highly-trained work-force, well-developed communications, distribution systems, favourable climate and opportunities to develop tourism, transit systems, and investments.

Notes

sphere – сфера

to supply – постачати

foodstuffs – харчові продукти

measure – міра, захід

application – використання, застосування

rye – жито

barley – ячмінь

buckwheat – гречка

millet – просо

to endure – витримувати

onion – цибуля

precarious – небезпечний, ненадійний

fertility – родючість

outmoded – застарілий

owing to – завдяки