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Ukraine covers the area of 603,700 square km. It has diverse soil types. Most of them are highly fertile and productive what applies especially to numerous types of black soils. The climate is temperate-continental all over the county, excluding southern shore of Crimea which has subtropical characteristics. All the above factors are very favorable for agricultural production. Nowadays Ukraine is in the process of structural disintegration, what is characterized by a long-term decrease of production efficiency expressed in lowering of labor productivity and surplus of material production. The reforms initiated during the last years in Agro-Industrial complex (AIC) not only have not helped to overcome the crisis but have also resulted in misbalance of interrelation between the AIC's spheres and branches of national economy. The main chains of production mechanisms have not been coordinated with each other. As a result the enterprises cannot fulfill their activities efficiently. Crisis in agriculture began later than in the other fields and has been progressing more slowly. The total output of agricultural production in 1997 was 43% less as compared with the average of the period of 1986-1990. Agricultural production decreased but there was also a severe drop in demand for agricultural products. Hyperinflation, policy of wage freezing and a reduction of the number of workers resulted in the majority of population being left in a precarious situation. Supply with agricultural machines and other technical resources does not meet the demand and is constantly decreasing. Equipment that is in current use is old and deficient. The number of tractors, combines and trucks decreases. A great part of machinery is not in use because of unsatisfactory technical conditions. This causes technical overload of machines that are still in use, and consequently results in a diminished yields of agricultural crops. The use of organic and mineral fertilizers has reduced significantly. One of the reasons is the absence of raw materials for the production of fertilizers. Usage of manure is hindered because of transportation and application costs. However, at the same time there is an increase in export of mineral fertilizers. The livestock production is the most affected. The number of cattle in Ukraine is at the rate of the year 1961, pigs -1958, poultry -1935, and sheep -1916. The decrease of number of cattle, reduction of production output and poor feed supply as well as strong decrease in productivity caused a significant drop of supply of population with the foods of animal origin. All the above attests to inefficiency of agrarian sector. Since 1993 the profitability rate has been in constant decrease. In 1996 agricultural production became unprofitable (profitability rate constituted 11.2%, rate of return -1.8%). Majority of enterprises were faced with bankruptcies. The amount of unprofitable enterprises now makes 87,4 of total. Only the production of grains, grain beans and sunflower is still profitable. All other branches of crop and livestock production are wholly unprofitable. The information infrastructure of Kharkiv region. It includes 23 agricultural Institutions. 3 institution of higher education: State Agrarian University; Technical University of Agriculture; Zooveterinary Institute 7 scientific research institutes: Institute of Experimental and Clinical veterinary medicine; Institute of live stock-breeding; Institute of poultry-keeping; Institute of plant Breeding Ukraine Academy Agrarian Sciences; Institute of Vegetable Breeding and Melon Breeding; Institute of Silk Production; Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry after A.N.Sokolovsky Academy Agrarian Science. 13 agricultural colleges The methodological Center of agricultural libraries has been in existence since 1978. Informational funds include the works of internationally renown soil scientists, plant breeders, physiologist botanists, foresters, economists and other scientists of agriculture. Library funds constitute 2,500,000 items and 22 databases. Of the 10 libraries only 5 have computer facilities. At present the libraries are at different stages of transition. There are 5 computers with Internet connections (bibl@kharkov.ua). The library of Technical University of Agriculture is located Kharkiv and has only 3 computers, and a telephone-based connection to the Internet. (romanov@khstur.kharkov.ua). They compile databases of new items, articles and literature of school assays. The library of State Agrarian University has only one computer and is making strong efforts to get better access to new information technologies. The University has a telephone-based access to the Internet (cau.@kharkov.com). Given the fact that the University is located rather far from the city this connection is very deficient and does not allow for effective use of Internet. Zooveterinary Institute is also located far from the city. Its has no computers and no Internet connections. However, The library of the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine has a server and has already created a home page (http://vet.kharkov.ua; www.IEKVM.Kharkov.ua). Its databases and catalogues are publicly accessible. The library of the Institute of Livestock Breeding and of Poultry Farming have 2 and 1 computers respectively. The Institute of soil Science and Agrochemistry has a telephone connection to the Internet (ITL@online.kharkov.ua). Its library has no computers. The Institute of Plant Breeding of Academy of Sciences of Ukraine comprises also the National Center of Genetic Plant Resources of Ukraine. It is leading in database production and use of Internet. The Internet connection is available over the telephone (Root@ncpgru.relcom.kharkov.ua : Lider@ncpgru.relcom.kharkov.ua). The other scientific institutions and their libraries have no computers and equipment. Of the seven institutes only 2 are in Kharkiv(IEKVM, ISS). All the libraries use CDS/ISIS system. All the libraries of the Kharkiv region use common model of rubricator and thesaurus. In order to increase efficiency of information technologies it is necessary to improve technical base of Ukrainian library information service. However, the main problem of agricultural information system as well as that of other activities lies in the fact that Ukraine copes with acute economic crisis. At present the information about agricultural institutions has been available via the AgroWeb-Ukraine (www.awu.kiev.ua). The data on holdings and activities of agricultural libraries are presented on the server of Kharkiv State University named after M.A. Gorky (www.univer.kharkov.ua). Besides, interesting and useful information can be found at the web-page of Kharkiv Center of Business Promoting (www.RBAC.Kharkov.com). The international cooperation with respect to the participation of the AGRIS database is carried out by the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine. A part of this activity is performed also at the State Agrarian University. |
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