Ukraine sets sights on pork exports to EU
Ukraine will increase pork production this year by 4-6% to 800,000 tonnes, according to the recent report of the country’s officials. It is expected that the stable growth of pork industry will enable the launch of export supplies to the European Union (EU) next year.
Currently, the largest pork producers of the country are preparing for inspection by the European veterinary specialists which could take place in the coming months.
“The Ukrainian pig-breeding enterprises expect inspection of specialists of the European commission’s DG SANCO,” stated Ivan Miroshnichenko, the vice-president of the Ukrainian Grain Association.
According to him, Ukraine producers mostly meet the requirements of the European veterinary legislation. “Many domestic enterprises meet the most stringent European standards in terms of safety and traceability of the production process, but the situation with meat-processing is worse,” he said.
At the same time, some experts believe that Ukraine will not be able to launch large-scale export of pork to EU, but can successfully compete in Europe in the niche market of organic production.
“I don’t think that pork from Ukraine can expect great demand in Europe, where there is already an oversupply. Our niche is in the high-margin products of organic origin,” stated Alexey Parkhomchuk, senior investment adviser, of Ukraine Investment Fund. He also added that currently, for Ukraine it is necessary to develop processing capacities in pork sector.
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