Statistics

Of the factors limiting production performance in the sector, predominant ones do not differ form those stressed by the respondents in previous quarters, e.g. shortage of circulated assets (69% of the respondents), exorbitant interest rates on bank loans (41%); taxes (37,5%); poor customer demand (34%); shortage of equipment and mechanisms (33%). In respect of the other factors, the respondents' views look as follows:

unfavourable weather conditions for the season limit production at 13% of the companies;
inadequate powers and authorities with management of an agricultural enterprise - 3,2%;
imperfect distribution system - 17%;
to employ new equipment and technologies - 14;
tough competition coming from compatriot producers of analogous products - 1,4%;
tough competition coming from imported analogues - 1,7%;
shortage of workers - 0,8%;
other factors limit production at another 10,9% of the agroproducers.

In this quarter 2,7% of the respondents say they do not face any factors affecting their production process. This follows the assessment given in respect of the previous quarter.

Customer demand is assessed by the respondents as follows: (% of the total number of responses)

Customer demand	meat	milk	poultry	eggs	fodder crops	food crops
Normal	56,3	60,5	9,9	10,8	55,9	58,4
Below normal on account of the following:
poor quality products	5,2	2,2	0,3	0,3	2,7	2,9
high producer prices as a result of high production costs	33,4	29,6	8,3	6,8	17,1	15,9
competition form home produced analogues	1,2	1,4	0,3	0,3	1,4	1,5
competiton form home imported analogues	2,2	1,0	0,7	0,2	0,5	0,8

Sales in cattle-breeding sub-sector featured downward trend in I quarter 2000 according to the reports of more the a half of the respondents (-32% balance). In respect of plant-growing the tendency in quite similar, although the recession is even stronger (-54%).

The share of full-time employment at respondent companies fell by nearly 8 percentage points and made 63,7% (against 71,2% and 78,8% in previous quarters, which is apparently related to seasonal nature of agricultural activities); the share of out of work employment grew from 7% to 9,8%.

The situation in respect of debt on labour payment is as bad as before, although there's some reduction in the share of the companies whose debt exceeds 6 months (53% against 57% and 59% in the previous quarters). Basically, the debt in the sector doesn't feature any move downward.

Agricultural enterprises by duration of debt on labour payment,	none	below 2 months	2-4 months	4-6 months	above 6 months
(% of the respondents)	8	9	15	14	52

Financial performance of own company in I quarter 2000 is assessed by the managers as far worse than in the previous quarter, the balance being -42% (against -32% in IV quarter 1999), e.g. once and again the recession rates of this indicator increased. By ownership category, the balance makes -44% for public enterprises, -43% for collectively-owned and -27% of private enterprises. The performance is "good" as reported by only 1% of the total number of the respondents (the latter reports being confined to collective ownership category). The performance is "satisfactory" according to 22% of the respondents (of these, private sub-sector accounts for 36%). The rest of the respondents assess own financial and economic performance as bad.

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