Transformation of the dairy industry requires joint efforts

Representatives of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection and Regional Departments, research and educational institutions, professional public organizations, dairy business, international organizations and international technical assistance projects took part in the event.

 

This is reported by minagro.gov.ua.

 

The main goal of the conference is to raise awareness of stakeholders involved in the dairy industry about the food safety monitoring system based on risk assessment and the importance of using best practices for the production of safe dairy products.

 

The dairy industry is specific, socially and economically important in the structure of the agroindustrial complex. Its potential is still unrealized, the industry is in a state of transformation and it is very important to find the right steps to give a powerful impetus to its development. Today we already have real changes, such as shifting the production of milk from households to agricultural enterprises, increasing the productivity of cows, increasing the proportion of milk of superior quality. The rise in prices on the world market and the opening of new markets led to an increase in exports of Ukrainian dairy products over the past eight months by 81%. However, it is important not only to increase exports, but also first to provide the Ukrainian consumer with products of appropriate quality. Here, the establishment of control over the quality and safety of dairy raw materials plays an important role, - said Elena Kovaleva has said.

 

According to the deputy minister, the transformation of the industry should take place with the state support. The government plans in 2018 to substantially increase the costs for the development of the livestock sector. The Draft Law of Ukraine "On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2018" provides for this expenditure in the amount of 2.3 billion UAH.

 

In addition, Olena Kovalova emphasized that the reform of the system of state regulation in the field of food safety, provides for increasing the responsibility of food market operators while meeting the requirements for quality and food safety.

 

At the conference, it was announced at the conference on the best practices of milk production and processing, the requirements of the food legislation of Ukraine, the risk-oriented system for monitoring food safety in the cycle of production and marketing of dairy products in Ukraine, the problem of antimicrobial resistance, and practical steps of the he State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protectionin implementing the provisions of the Law of Ukraine on state control.