The feed market in Ukraine is blocked – EBA

09/ 04/ 2020

In the near future, Ukraine may face a shortage of feed due to the lack of regulations that would recognize the EU feed additive registration system in our country. As a result, more than 11 million pets will not have access to the newest high-quality diets. This raises deep concern as there is a high number of pets who need specialized veterinary feeds (for example, animals with certain diseases) which Ukrainian producers currently cannot offer. So, the only way left is to buy imported feeds for these animals. Until recently, Ukraine had a working registration system for prepared feeds (a mandatory registration of every recipe of a finished product imported or produced in Ukraine). However, the Law on Feed Safety and Hygiene adopted in 2017 introduced a new registration system for food additives other than prepared feeds. Therefore, as for now, prepared feeds may only be produced or imported into Ukraine if the used additives are listed in the State Register of Feed Additives which is not yet established. On the one hand, this made Ukrainian legislation closer to EU norms, but on the other hand, it caused some complications. In 2018, the abovementioned Law was signed by the President of Ukraine that implies a transition period of 2 years for the Cabinet to develop internal procedures for its implementation. However, unfortunately, no progress was made in 2 years. Tetiana Shyrochenko. EBA Committee Coordinator. So today we have a situation when there is no equivalence between the European registration system of feed additives and the Ukrainian system. This suspends the supply of imported feed from the EU and leads to significant revenue losses in the state budget while the situation with the national budget and economy could have been better. At the same time, some pets may face chronic illness or even death because of this collision. Another problem is that the leading feed manufacturers are constantly improving their recipes, introducing the newer and more elaborated products to the market. However, none of them can now reach the Ukrainian consumer due to the absence of the registration mechanism If the issue remains unresolved, it may happen that imports of prepared feeds to Ukraine will be completely terminated, as old recipes will be out of production and new ones, which are widely available to European consumers, cannot be imported into Ukraine. It means that the Ukrainian budget will be deprived of multimillion-dollar taxes that are currently paid, for example, by world-leading feed manufacturers such as Mars, Nestle, Royal Canin, and others. Therefore, the European Business Association appeals to the Prime Minister of Ukraine and the EU Delegation to Ukraine to assist in resolving this situation. It is now important to unblock the process of simplified registration of feed additives for Ukraine to be consistent with other European countries on this issue.

In the near future, Ukraine may face a shortage of feed due to the lack of regulations that would recognize the EU feed additive registration system in our country.

As a result, more than 11 million pets will not have access to the newest high-quality diets. This raises deep concern as there is a high number of pets who need specialized veterinary feeds (for example, animals with certain diseases) which Ukrainian producers currently cannot offer. So, the only way left is to buy imported feeds for these animals.

Until recently, Ukraine had a working registration system for prepared feeds (a mandatory registration of every recipe of a finished product imported or produced in Ukraine). However, the Law on Feed Safety and Hygiene adopted in 2017 introduced a new registration system for food additives other than prepared feeds. Therefore, as for now, prepared feeds may only be produced or imported into Ukraine if the used additives are listed in the State Register of Feed Additives which is not yet established. On the one hand, this made Ukrainian legislation closer to EU norms, but on the other hand, it caused some complications.

In 2018, the abovementioned Law was signed by the President of Ukraine that implies a transition period of 2 years for the Cabinet to develop internal procedures for its implementation. However, unfortunately, no progress was made in 2 years.

Tetiana Shyrochenko EBA Committee Coordinator

So today we have a situation when there is no equivalence between the European registration system of feed additives and the Ukrainian system. This suspends the supply of imported feed from the EU and leads to significant revenue losses in the state budget while the situation with the national budget and economy could have been better. At the same time, some pets may face chronic illness or even death because of this collision.

Another problem is that the leading feed manufacturers are constantly improving their recipes, introducing the newer and more elaborated products to the market. However, none of them can now reach the Ukrainian consumer due to the absence of the registration mechanism

If the issue remains unresolved, it may happen that imports of prepared feeds to Ukraine will be completely terminated, as old recipes will be out of production and new ones, which are widely available to European consumers, cannot be imported into Ukraine. It means that the Ukrainian budget will be deprived of multimillion-dollar taxes that are currently paid, for example, by world-leading feed manufacturers such as Mars, Nestle, Royal Canin, and others.

Therefore, the European Business Association appeals to the Prime Minister of Ukraine and the EU Delegation to Ukraine to assist in resolving this situation. It is now important to unblock the process of simplified registration of feed additives for Ukraine to be consistent with other European countries on this issue.