xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx SPECIAL REPORT xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx CRISIS ON UKRAINIAN FARMS
The decline of Ukraine's agriculture sector has been continuous since Kyiv declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. This report includes articles and photos. http://www.rferl.org/nca/special/ukraine-farms/index.html

UKRAINE'S STRIKING MINERS WANT TO GET RID OF MIDDLEMEN. In addition to demanding the payment of wage arrears for the past 10 months, Pervomaysk miners picketing the Luhansk Oblast administration building want middlemen to be eliminated from the coal trade, ITAR-TASS reported. The middlemen, they argue, have "robbed us: they have bought coal from us very cheaply and sold it at prices several times higher." Negotiations with the oblast administration have yielded no results, since the authorities continue to pledge wages for this month. JM