Ukraine could begin poultry exports by September
Ukraine’s agricultural ministry has announced that it expects poultry and egg producers to begin exports to the EU in September.
As part of a trade agreement with the EU Commission, the country will be allowed to export up to 20,000t of chicken fillet and 20,000t of other chicken parts to the EU a year, Ukrainian News has reported. The new market will provide top Ukrainian agri-businesses with access to more than 500 million consumers.
It is understood that only commpanies with EU-certified slaughterhouses will be allowed to export to the EU.
Yuriy Kosyuk, chief executive officer of MHP, the largest producer of poultry in Ukraine, said his firm is interested in supplying poultry to the EU and his company is ready to start shipping poultry, but the final agreement procedures often last for several months.
“We have been ready for the past few months, but to overcome the bureaucratic process in the EU is not in our power,” said Mr Kosyuk.
The EU Commission decided to include Ukraine in the list of countries that have the right to supply poultry products to the EU market at the end of 2012, explains a report in World Poultry.
According to the Customs Service of Ukraine, the export of poultrymeat in January to May amounted to about 52,000t worth $87m. In 2012, exports of poultrymeat increased to 80,000t for $145m, and the forecast for 2013 is 140,000t.