Phase 1 of the Swiss humanitarian project, which has provided aid to 233 dairy farms in Chernihiv, Kyiv, and Sumy oblasts, is coming to an end. Thus, 155 dairy farms have already received the necessary hygiene products for milk production, the other 78 farms will receive the aid in November. The project is implemented at the request of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine in cooperation with the Association of Milk Producers, 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.
“The humanitarian project budget is almost UAH 100 million”, says Viktor Shutkevych, National Programme Officer in Economic Development at the Swiss Embassy in Ukraine. “Taking into account the fact that, at the start of providing humanitarian aid in the three deoccupied oblasts we also had farms which refused the potential aid (mainly for two reasons: a farm was so heavily affected by hostilities that milk production was impossible or a farm was able to stand up to all the challenges and the owner was willing to readdress the aid to help those in need), we had the opportunity to readdress the money to another oblast. With this purpose, we visited some farms in Kharkiv oblast and were also able to learn the unique experience of relocating the affected farm to Poltava oblast. The problems which the dairy producers are facing with each passing day of war will, unfortunately, have a significant long-term impact on the industry. That is why we are striving to provide such short-term support to additional 63 dairy farms of Kharkiv oblast as soon as possible to continue producing milk in line with the hygienic requirements while keeping it affordable and qualitative food products for consumers”.
The humanitarian project 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. The important prerequisite for this is ensuring proper milk production and storage hygiene, as well as animal health.
Switzerland provides all kinds of support to the affected Ukrainians as well as agricultural producers both in the frame of a number of humanitarian projects, whose budget for 2022 is CHF 80 million, and private initiatives of the Swiss people and professional community. QFTP, which continues its activity in Ukraine in the frame of the Emergency Response Plan, has become a certain bridge between the two countries in providing humanitarian projects and charity initiatives. Thus, under the coordination of the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, SAFOSO AG and partners (Dr. E. Graeub AG, G. Leclerc Transport AG, Scienceindustries, PostLogistics AG, Swiss Veterinary Association), veterinary products, feed, and other goods for animals (total 19 pallets) have been collected to support the livestock production and protect animal health in the regions which have been affected during hostilities; the charitable project to support family farms in Ukraine is also underway: https://www.graeub.com/de/livisto/animalplus/familyd_1.html
For reference: Humanitarian aid will be provided in the form of 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. The majority of products will be purchased from local suppliers to maintain the established relations with agricultural enterprises, resume their production practices and technologies in line with the recommendations of milking equipment manufacturers. 63 farms are on the list of recipient farms in the Kharkiv oblast as of 1 November. For the list visit.
