News
16.01.2013
Domestic standards to block Ukrainian poultry meat entry to EU market
The long-awaited entry to EU market for Ukrainian poultry producers could may never happen, even despite the agreements reached with the European Union. The main obstacle may be seen in National Standard on "Poultry meat. General standard specifications" – i.e. inconsistency of some norms with international standards, - the Association "Ukrainian Agribusiness Club" and the "Union of Poultry Farmers of Ukraine" say, appealing with a respective letter to the Prime Minister of Ukraine.
Earlier, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine commissioned the Institute of Livestock of NAAS to make a draft of a National Standard project on "Poultry meat. General standard specifications", emphasizing on one of the main conditions - the project must comply with international requirements, including norms of EU Regulations.
"The EU Commission Regulation defines the norms of determining the moisture content in poultry meat, depending on the ways of cooling. So, experts and leaders of the industry naturally insist on putting the abovementioned norms into the draft project, which would harmonize the National Standard with norms of EU Regulation and make possible to use registered and approved in the EU methodologies for determining water content in poultry carcasses after defrosting" - the President of the Association "Ukrainian Agribusiness Club" Alex Lissitsa says.
However, the norm is deliberately and willfully ignored by developers of the standard under no reason and their own approach to define to water content in poultry meat is suggested (mainly frozen poultry is exported).
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association "Union of Poultry Farmers of Ukraine" Olexandr Bakumenko believes that the in such a subjectively distorted and not harmonized with EU regulation standards draft project of the State Standard has no right to become an applicable regulatory act.
"The project developers and acquirers as well as enterprises that produce poultry meat will have no other option but just to observe the situation when the state loses millions of revenues because of artificially blocked export opportunities of the poultry industry" - the expert says.
Experts claim that the current National Standard is a striking example of biased actions against the efficient industry, aimed at stopping of its development, increase of production volumes and exports.
"The consequences of this policy may turn into creation of competitive advantages for importers that supplied and are ready to continue supplies of Brazilian, American and European poultry meat to Ukraine; reduction of exports of poultry products (including the EU market), the entry to which was expected, as well as a decrease in foreign exchange earnings and worsening of foreign trade balance", - Alex Lissitsa emphasizes.
In order to prevent the suspension of poultry industry development and to prepare the National Standard draft project, which would be completely in line with the requirements of Commission Regulation (EU) from 16 June 2008 № 543/2008 and fully meet the position of professional producers of poultry meat, the Association "Ukrainian Agribusiness Club" and "Union of Poultry Farmers of Ukraine" sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov with the request to commission relevant ministries and agencies to consider the final version of the National Standard draft project in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food or the Ministry for Economic Development and Trade with the participation of professionals from companies, engaged in poultry production and from associations and take into consideration the standards of current Commission Regulation (EU).
Information note: Poultry industry in Ukraine in recent years achieved significant results from the point of production rates, as well as in promotion of products to foreign markets. In particular, exports of poultry meat in 2012 is expected in the amount of 80 thousand tons, or nearly 2.5 times higher than in 2010. According to forecast made by companies, in 2013 exports of poultry meat are to increase up to 140 thousand tons.
Association "Ukrainian Agribusiness Club"
Velyka Zhytomyrska str., 20 А, office 53, Kyiv, 01001
Phone: +380 44 201-4950
Fax: +380 44 201-4951
099 272 59 30
Tetiana Kotyk
www.agribusiness.kiev.ua
The Association "Ukrainian Agribusiness Club" (UCAB) www.agribusiness.kiev.ua was founded in 2007 to protect the economic and professional interests of players of agribusiness in Ukraine. UCAB is a unique platform in Ukraine for establishing business contacts between the leaders of agribusiness, improvement their work and dialogue with the government. UCAB actively supports Ukrainian producers in establishing and maintaining international business relations. The Association consists of the largest producers and processors of agricultural products in Ukraine.
