Iryna Palamar achieved that the second grade milk from the population continued to be accepted

Submitted by bashun on Wed, 07/25/2018 - 16:07

Owning to Iryna Palamar’s active efforts, the head of the Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association (the USBA), the decision on new milk quality requirements, according to which peasant milk of the second grade would be prohibited, was postponed, the USBA press service reported.

On June 27 of this year the State Enterprise Ukrainian Research and Development Center for Standardization, Certification and Quality Problems, which is the National Standardization Body, passed an order on the Ministry of Agrarian Policy's appeal, by which the period for accepting second grade milk for food purposes was prolonged until January 1, 2020.

We draw the attention of all residents of the countryside of Ukraine, who keep cows, since July 1, 2018, the second grade of milk has not been canceled. Peasants and all those who produce milk of the second grade can safely hand it over to the enterprises until January 1, 2020.

This became possible owning to Iryna Palamar’s active efforts, the head of the Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association (the USBA), who resolutely demanded to postpone the introduction of new standardization standards for milk quality. During this time, the government must take care of the peasants, provide them with everything belonging so that they can take milk of the required quality under new requirements.

"Delaying the introduction of a new standard to the quality of milk is our next very important victory! - Iryna Palamar commented. - If the new requirements had come into effect on July 1, 2018, as planned, then literally on July 2 the peasants would have remained almost without a single way of earning.

However, we did not allow this to happen! While other associations were silent, quietly accepting this absurd legislative initiative, I knocked on all the doors! I addressed to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, held a series of meetings at all levels, appealed to the President, the Prime Minister of Ukraine. After a long and painstaking work I managed to convince the authorities, in particular, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development of Ukraine, Stepan Kubiv, in the need to postpone the introduction of new requirements until people are ready for it. And I am very grateful that he heard me.

Together with the experts, we prepared a draft normative legal act “On Amendments to the Order of the National Standardization Body of the State Enterprise“ Ukrainian Research and Training Center for Standardization, Certification and Quality” of December 18, 2017 No. 420, where we asked to postpone the entry into force of the new technical requirements, until the peasants will not be provided with appropriate conditions. And they listened to me!

Of course, the quality of milk is an important thing, and we must go to bring it closer to European standards. But first of all, it is necessary to create conditions for people to produce this quality milk, to provide populated areas with the proper infrastructure: it is important that the milk is collected in a non-contact way and instantly cooled, because the less the raw material is in contact with the external environment, the higher the quality. In the village, this can be done by arranging special milking points equipped with a milk line, refrigeration and filtering equipment. To enable the peasants to bring the cow to milking, where the udder is washed and disinfected, a milking machine is connected. Milk by special pipes enters the cooling apparatus. The amount of milk collected from each cow is fixed. Thus, the owner of the cow deprives himself of the need to wash dishes, filter milk, and wait for the milk truck. And he gets a great price for the highest quality milk.”

The USBA specialists calculated that it is possible to install similar milk-collecting points in the country's villages in a year, and for this it is necessary to spend almost 7 billion UAH (in Ukraine there are about 27 thousand villages and 1.5 points are needed for each locality, therefore, they need 37 thousand for the whole country. The cost of equipment of one such item is almost 200 thousand UAH).

"To accomplish this aim, it is possible to attract grants from the budget, as well as foreign grants," Iryna Palamar said. - It is also important to unite people in cooperatives so that they can act as a legal entity. Then the same grants can be obtained.

The task of the state today is to save the village from extinction, and not, on the contrary, to throw sand in the people’s machine. We must help and not prohibit! We must create the right conditions for people so that they can earn money in the production of agricultural products and ensure a decent life for themselves. Then the villages will not disappear.

I also want to draw peasants’ attention to the fact that this year the state program "Financial support of agricultural serving cooperatives" of the milk and fruit and berry Directions for purchasing equipment for storage and processing of agricultural products is in force, Iryna Palamar noted. The amount of support is 70% of the cost of the acquired equipment, not including VAT, but not more than 3 000 000 UAH per agricultural serving cooperative. The condition is that the agricultural serving cooperatives should include at least 20 members, among which one must necessarily be a farm. A package of necessary documents is submitted to the regional commissions at regional administrations."

It bears reminding that the new standard for milk quality - DSTU 3662: 2015 "Raw cow milk. Technical conditions" was to come into effect on July 1, 2018. According to these requirements, which were thus developed by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, from July 1, 2018, the second grade of milk (which is predominantly produced in individual farms, almost 70%) was planned to be prohibited for use in food production.

Now the cancellation of DSTU 3662-97 "Whole cow milk. Procurement requirements" (concerns whole raw cow milk for purchase) with regard to the requirements for second grade milk until January 1, 2020. The old requirements for extra, high and first grades of milk according to GOST 3662-97 will be valid until January 1, 2019.

If we talk about DSTU 3662: 2015 "Raw cow milk. Technical conditions", then it was canceled on the same day, when it was due to take effect on July 1 of this year. The new DSTU 3662: 2018 will operate only in six months – since January 1, 2019.

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