The article considers and analyzes the main budget programs of the agricultural sector, for which the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine was responsible in the past and today the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine. The data used in the articles dated April 2019, as well as the analysis of some programs are made later, taking into account the structural changes in the central structure responsible for agriculture and rural development. Currently, Ukraine is characterized by approval of a large number of documents at various levels of government that determine the strategic priorities of the country's development and certain sectors of the economy. The field of agriculture and rural development has not been an exception, the main strategic and political priorities of the sector are identified in different strategic documents. The article provides an in-depth, descriptive analysis of the state budget in agriculture and its links with the macroeconomic, fiscal context and processes of the Ministry of Finance. Given the time and resource constraints for research, official published budget documents have become the main source of data. In addition, the existing special sector studies and unpublished materials, as well as documentation of the formal data were used to deepen the understanding of the situation. The features of the programs, their significance and the amount of funding are identified and the key performance indicators of some budget programs are considered. The recommendations help to promote predictability in the provision of state support to the agricultural and rural development so that farmers are better able to plan and undertake their activities on the basis of knowing when funds will be available and in the amounts required, and main spending units make effective decisions based on results. A key element of this study is to identify and harmonize the areas where the budget execution of the industry needs to be improved in order to achieve better results in the future. The article clearly defines the issues of the study, analyzes the support of agriculture and provides recommendations for improving the effectiveness of budget programs.