This year marks ten years since the beginning of Switzerland’s systematic support for Ukraine’s dairy sector. Thanks to long-term cooperation aimed at improving milk quality and safety, Ukraine today demonstrates significant progress in producing and exporting value-added dairy products.
In 2015, Switzerland committed to providing technical assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s system of sanitary and phytosanitary measures. This marked the launch of the first Swiss project – “Establishment of a risk-based food safety control system in the dairy value chain in Ukraine”.
Today, Switzerland continues to finance technical assistance to Ukraine’s dairy sector within the Swiss-Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (Quality FOOD Trade Programme, QFTP), which supports the development of trade in organic and value-added dairy products.
The goal of Switzerland’s support is particularly significant in the context of European integration: to promote the production of high-quality, value-added dairy products, strengthen the competitiveness of the sector, and foster trade development.
On 16 October, a conference was held in Kyiv to summerise the results of ten years of cooperation between Switzerland and Ukraine in developing dairy sector, as well as to outline the next steps and a shared vision for the future of this partnership.
One of the key outcomes of Switzerland’s assistance has been the implementation in Ukraine of the Raw Milk Control Programme (RMCP), designed to verify whether milk supplied by producers for processing meets the quality and safety standards established by legislation.
The RMCP is a core element of Ukraine’s food safety system, as the quality of raw milk directly affects the quality of finished dairy products such as cheese, butter, and yoghurt.
The programme began as a pilot project involving 15 milk-producing food business operators (FBOs), four laboratories, and four regional main administrations of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP) across four regions.
Today, the RMCP operates in all territories under Ukrainian control, covering over 1,000 FBOs (farms and milk collection points), 54 authorized laboratories, around 500 sampling delegates, and more than 200 inspectors.
Such a scale has enabled the establishment of an effective mechanism for monitoring the quality and safety of milk,equivalent to European standards and practices.
«The outcomes are measurable. In 2015, only 7 per cent of milk delivered for processing in Ukraine met the “Extra” category, i.e. EU standards. Today, 55 per cent – every second litre – complies with European hygiene requirements, reflecting significant qualitative progress in the sector», – said Marco Kräuchi, Program Manager at Organic Focal Point Trade Promotion Division, State Secretariat for Economic Affair (SECO, Switzerland).
An important component of this progress has been the modernization of the legislative framework governing thedairy sector and the enhancement of the state control system for milk quality and safety.
As part of the cooperation, an IT-platform “Dairy Module” was developed, enabling the recording and monitoring of laboratory test results. This platform ensures transparency of control procedures and strengthens trust among all market actors.
“This is an important step towards improving product safety, transparency in production processes, and consumer confidence. The RMCP aligns Ukraine’s milk quality and safety control system with European standards and lays the foundation for strengthening the competitiveness of Ukrainian dairy products both domestically and internationally,” said Andrii Kreitor, Deputy Head of the SSUFSCP.
According to him, Switzerland has also strengthened Ukraine’s diagnostic and technical laboratory capacity for milk testing through the procurement of laboratory equipment, support for laboratory accreditation, and facilitating participation in international proficiency testing programmes.
“Within the QFTP Programme, investments have been made in the development of service providers in the dairy sector. As a result, small and medium-sized milk producers have gained new knowledge and practices to produce high-quality, safe milk and value-added products, while milk processing enterprises have gained access to new export markets,” added Manon Schuppers, Co-CEO of SAFOSO AG (Switzerland).
Since the beginning of 2022, Switzerland has also provided humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian dairy enterprises. A total of 446 farms located in regions affected by hostilities have received hygiene products to ensure proper milk production.
«We deeply appreciate the comprehensive approach of our Swiss partners, which goes beyond legislative reforms to include support for small and medium-sized enterprises. This support encompasses both financial and organizational assistance in implementing numerous projects across the Ukrainian dairy sector – from aiding service providers to creating trade opportunities for artisanal cheesemakers. On behalf of the Ministry, I wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to Switzerland for its steadfast support of the dairy sector. This partnership has played a crucial role in restoring the industry’s potential and lays the foundation for its European future», – said Taras Vysotskyi, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine
Another important area of progress has been export development. With Switzerland’s support, and in cooperation with the State Institution “Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office”, Ukraine organized its first national pavilions of dairy products at leading international agri-food exhibitions – ANUGA, SIAL, and GULFOOD.
Participation in such events enables Ukrainian exporters to secure beneficial contracts and showcase theircompetitiveness on the global market. Ukrainian dairy products have attracted considerable interest – international importers have highly appreciated their quality and compliance with international standards. A striking example is the company Prime Snack (snEco), which won the Grand Prix SIAL Innovation 2024 in the “Dairy Products” category.
For three consecutive years, Switzerland has also supported the participation of Ukrainian producers in the prestigiousWorld Cheese Awards competition. During this period, Ukrainian cheeses have earned 34 international distinctions.
At the national level, within the QFTP Programme, Switzerland has facilitated the promotion of Ukrainian cheesemakers and the creation of trade opportunities both locally and internationally – notably at the Lviv Taste Fair and the national cheese art festival, ProCheese Awards.
«Switzerland attaches strategic importance to Ukraine’s recovery, reform agenda, and sustainable development. This commitment is clearly reflected in the new Swiss Ukraine Country Programme 2025–2028. Switzerland remains convinced that a competitive and resilient dairy sector constitutes an integral part of Ukraine’s agricultural future», – noted Marco Kräuchi.
For more details on the results of Swiss support, please watch the video at the link.
Swiss-Ukrainian Programme «Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine» (QFTP) is financed by Switzerland and implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland).
