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Ukraine Blames Smaller Harvest on Crimea and Separatists

Wheat is seen in a field near the southern Ukranian city of Nikolaev.

Ukraine, one of the world's largest grain exporters, will lose 15 percent of its grain crop in the violence-hit regions of the country's east, a spokesman for Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said.

Earlier on Tuesday Interfax news agency quoted Yatseniuk as saying Ukraine would lose 15 percent of its grain harvest due to fighting with pro-Russian separatist rebels in its eastern regions and Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

"This refers to 15 percent of the harvest in the regions where fighting is taking place," the spokesman for Yatsenyuk said when asked to clarify the report.

See also:

Crimea Brings in Bumper Grain Harvest, But Nobody's Buying

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