On 31 January 2023, Phase 2 of the Swiss humanitarian project, in the frame of which dairy farms of Kharkiv oblast received necessary hygiene products for milk production, came to an end.
The Swiss humanitarian initiative is aimed at ensuring food security in general and, in particular, through improved access for the Ukrainian population to quality and safe milk and dairy products produced in Ukraine.
Before the war Kharkiv oblast was the third in the national statistics by the volume of milk produced at the agricultural enterprises and was the key region supplying milk of extra grade for processing. To preserve the production potential after de-occupation 64 dairy farms received cleaning and disinfection products for milking equipment, products for pre- and post-dipping, napkins for udder hygiene, gloves, reagents for subclinical mastitis detection, disinfectants for livestock facilities, etc., which will fully cover their quarterly needs. Thus, 68% of registered production facilities of Kharkiv oblast were covered, where over 64 thousand heads of cattle, including 25 thousand cows, were kept. Due to hostilities, limited access to veterinary services and necessary components for a full-fledged ration, every third recipient suffered from herd reduction; nevertheless, 34% of farms managed to preserve and slightly increase their heard sizes (mainly due to inability to sell heifers). Notably, at the beginning the farms that had to relocate their livestock to the neighbouring oblast joined the project, however, they have already returned to their primary facilities and continue their production activities in Kharkiv oblast.
The total budget of the humanitarian project amounted to CHF 2.5 million (about UAH 100 million), in the frame of which 296 farms from 4 oblasts, i.e. Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv, were supported. For the list of recipient farms visit.
The project was implemented at the request of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine in cooperation with the Association of Milk Producers (AMP), International Charitable Foundation #SaveUA, and the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection under the coordination of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine.
Switzerland will continue supporting the agricultural sector of Ukraine both in the frame of international technical assistance projects and programs and humanitarian initiatives.
Thus, in the frame of QFTP, which continues its activity in Ukraine in the frame of the Emergency Response Plan until 30 June 2023, three projects to support dairy farms in deoccupied and frontline oblasts are planned to be implemented together with local service providers. The affected milk producers will get access to laboratory testing of milk samples both for quality parameters and with the purpose of determining pathogens that cause udder diseases, and receive consultants in milk hygiene, animal health, reproduction and feeding, as well as herd management in the form of express monitoring. It is expected that the Program will cover at least 90 dairy farms.
