"The stock breeders are ready to export much more than now" - the head of the USBA Iryna Palamar

On April 20, 2018 the public discussion of the project "Sectoral Strategy for the Development of Agricultural, Food and Processing Industries Export" was taken place, or in other words the "Export Strategy Project". Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy for European Integration Olha Trofimtseva (speaker), coordinator of the group development of RST markets under the Ministry of Agrarian Policy Oleksandr Zhemoida (moderator), members of industry-based public organizations and other industry participants take part in the discussion.

It bears reminding that the Government approved the Export Strategy of Ukraine, presenting the Roadmap for Strategic Development of Trade for the period of 2017-2021.

This document specifies benchmarks for the development of trade relations of Ukraine, overcoming obstacles and using the available opportunities for export development.

The project takes into account the latest trends and challenges in the global food market, global trends and sustainable development goals of the United Nations and defines, based on thorough professional analysis, promising markets and groups of goods for export, as well as key steps and tools through which they can be implemented.

The Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association approves such effective steps of the government regarding the development of specific mechanisms for the export of products, including agricultural products. After all, one of the key tasks of the USBA is to help set up export markets for agricultural producers, and the Association is particularly active in this direction today.

It bears reminding that the USBA has been actively cooperating with the Turkish side over more than half a year on the opening of a Turkish market for the export of Ukrainian beef and cattle. Numerous negotiations were held between the head of the USBA Iryna Palamar and the representatives of the Office of the Trade Advisor of the Embassy of Turkey in Ukraine. The full analytical material on Ukraine on meat export was prepared and presented to them. In addition, 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. The final stage will be the signing of a bilateral agreement between Ukraine and Turkey for the export and import of products and obtaining a certificate.

It is also important that the head of the USBA, Iryna Palamar, was approved into the two working groups of the International Trade Council under the CMU on promotion of exports and improving the system of customs and tariff regulation and trade protection. The Council's main attention will be paid to trade facilitation, export promotion, development of international trade development strategies and analysis of their implementation, improvement of the customs tariff regulation and trade protection system, membership of this groups was also approved.

Much has been done by the Association in order to assist in opening the export of Ukrainian pork, which was closed to the vast majority of countries after the outbreak of the African swine fever (ASF) epidemic in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association actively supports the introduction of compartmentalization (a procedure whereby farms with a high degree of biosecurity will be able to export pork despite the presence of ASF in Ukraine).

Together with the scientists, the head of the USBA analyzed in detail the features and advantages of such a remedy (more detailed information via the link https://usba.com.ua/irina-palamar-kompartmentalizacia-ce-mozlivist-eksportu-ukrainskoi-svinini-nezvazauci-na-acs) and appealed to the first deputy of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy Maksym Martynyuk with a request to support and coordinate the draft order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy "On the introduction of compartmentalization" (more detailed information - here).

"It is very important that the Export Strategy for 2017-2021 contains a concrete effective plan of tasks and activities for its implementation, - Iryna Palamar, the head of the USBA, commented. - After all, our stock breeders are ready for a long time and can export much more than now. We produce high-quality products and in sufficient quantity to sell it to foreign markets. However, today there are a number of obstacles: high export duty, not enough specially equipped checkpoints in ports, lack of halal slaughterhouses that would allow us to export beef to Asian countries in half-carcasses, and not live (which is much more profitable), as it mostly happening now, bureaucratic obstacles, etc.

I very much hope that the tasks set in this export strategy will turn into real effective steps, and will not remain beautifully written on paper. I, in my turn, as head of the Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association and a member of the International Trade Council, together with the producers, will continue taking an active stand in the direction of simplifying exports for the stock breeders".

Reference:

The road map of the export strategy for the period 2017-2021 determines the strategic goals for the development of trade in Ukraine for the next four years. Among them: creating conditions for the development of trade and innovation to diversify the export of Ukrainian goods and services, supporting exports from the state, as well as increasing the level of knowledge and skills necessary for enterprises to carry out international trade.

The ultimate goal and main objective of the Export Strategy is to shift to the export of science-intensive innovative products for sustainable development and the success of Ukraine in world markets.

Also, within the export strategy, a list of new promising markets was approved that could replace traditional export markets, access to which is difficult due to the political situation. In particular, the top 20 markets were identified, which, provided that the right forms and tools are chosen, can produce fairly quick results. There are, besides the EU countries: Egypt, India, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, USA, Canada, Switzerland and Bangladesh.