April 3 2002, 15:00 Interfax-Ukraine

Ukrainian banks set preferential loans for farmers worth US $ 162 mill.

Interfax Ukraina, quoting the MinAP, reported that since the beginning of the current year through Apr 1, Ukrainian banks loaned farmers only US $ 162 mill, which is almost twice as little as a year before.

This year annual interest rate was set at 24-35%.

Loans required this year make up US $ 0.5 bn, of which US $ 0.4 should be given at preferential terms.

In 2001 farmers received US $ 0.8 bn worth of loans where US $0.5 were preferential.