Ukraine intends to start exporting pork to the EU market, but this requires appropriate preparation, which may take several years.

“The desire to enter the EU markets has been voiced by domestic producers for a long time. Not only for the purpose of supply, but also as a reputational factor that will automatically give access to a number of other countries. However, for a long time, the African swine fever prevented us from realising our goals,” the organisation explains.

It is specified that technical support in this matter will be provided by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the EBRD under the Animal Health, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Programme in Ukraine and Moldova.

The organisations provide individual consultations to businesses during compliance audits, the association reports. “Several enterprises located in the central part of Ukraine have already received them. The next step is to audit four more applicants from the western region,” the organisation said.

Earlier, First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotsky said that in order to open the European market for pork exports, it was necessary to adapt Ukrainian legislation to the EU. According to him, since July 2022, negotiations with the EU have resumed to review Ukrainian legislation for compliance with European norms and standards.

In May 2022, it became known that Ukraine was resuming exports of pork and beef, and that it had agreed that supplies would be transited through the EU, as traditional export routes by sea were blocked due to russia’s military aggression.

According to the Ukrainian Stock Association, as of the beginning of January 2023, there were about 400 pig farms and 22 thousand sows in Ukraine. Last year, Ukraine imported about 47 thousand tonnes of pork.

Source https://mind.ua/