The next step for the export of Ukrainian beef to the Turkish market is made

This visit of the Turkish side to Ukraine is a logical result of the active work of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, together with the Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association and business in the direction of setting up live cattle exports and beef to Turkey.

It bears reminding that since 2017 the USBA has made many steps to enable Ukrainian livestock farmers to sell their products in Turkey, which is a major consumer of beef, which means that it is a very promising market for us.

Since the fall of 2017 numerous talks have been held between the chairman of the USBA Iryna Palamar and representatives of the Office of the Trade Adviser of the Turkish Embassy in Ukraine, as a result of which the Ukrainian side managed to convince potential partners of mutually beneficial cooperation, because before that Turkey considered Ukraine a sanitary and dangerous country. For representatives of the Office of the Trade Advisor of Turkey in Ukraine the USBA prepared and presented a full analytical material on Ukraine on meat exports. This information was developed by the Turkish authorities and detailed in the information request. Also, on the initiative of the USBA, one of the key Turkish companies arrived in Ukraine, which will be the main potential buyer of cattle and meat products in Ukraine. This company became a member of the Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association.

Later, the Turkish authorities officially confirmed their readiness to open their market for the export of live cattle and meat from Ukraine. The first step will be the opening of the beef market, in connection with which the Turkish Veterinary Service sent a questionnaire to the Ukrainian service (for more details on the questionnaire, see previous publications).

Thus, as a result of this activity of the USBA, a mission of the General Directorate of Protection and Control of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Turkey arrived in Ukraine on a working visit.

"On April 23, 2018 the first deputy head of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Andrii Zhuk and the heads of the relevant structural units of the the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection met with the representatives of the competent body of Turkey," the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection noted.

Within the framework of the mission, the specialists of the General Directorate of Protection and Control of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Turkey will become acquainted with the functions and powers of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection and its territorial bodies. Also, visits are planned to the central laboratory of the State Research Institute for Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (Kyiv), the state enterprise "Agency for Identification and Registration of Animals."

In addition, representatives of the Turkish side will inspect the activities of a number of farms that contain cattle and slaughter enterprises.

Based on the results of the mission, an assessment will be made of the system of state control over the production of beef meat. During the meeting the sides exchanged views on the further work of the competent bodies on this issue.

In particular, the following actions were agreed on the coordination and prospects for further harmonization of veterinary certificates and the signing of appropriate forms for the export of Ukrainian beef to Turkey.

First Deputy Chairman of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection Service Andrii Zhuk noted that the competent body of Ukraine would do everything possible to enable export opportunities for Ukrainian producers of agricultural products, which will be a significant impetus for the development of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine.

"This is our important victory," Iryna Palamar commented, head of the USBA. - The work that we have been actively carrying out for more than half a year, gives its confident results. The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection supports us, and we believe that very soon the first batches of our cattle and beef will cross the Ukrainian-Turkish border".