On 8 June 2024, as part of Lviv Taste Fair 2024, the representatives from the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and Lviv Regional Military (State) Administration visited an organic enterprise in Lviv region, Organic Garden LLC, which received a grant for its business development under the state program “Financial Support for Agricultural Producers”.
On 8 and 9 June 2024, Lviv Taste Fair was held to support small and medium-sized producers of certified organic products, cheese makers, and local craft producers. Within the event, organised by Lviv Regional Military (State) Administration, Ecoterra Lviv city non-governmental organisation, ProCheese cheese connoisseur community from Ardis Group, under the patronage of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, with the support of Switzerland within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian Program “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP), the delegations from the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, and Regional Military (State) Administration visited organic farm Organic Garden LLC in Lviv region.
Organic Garden LLC is a certified organic farm that has been working in organic production since 2017 and operates in accordance with the organic legislation of Ukraine and the EU and is included in the State register of operators that produce organic products in compliance with the legislation in organic production, circulation and labelling of organic products, maintained by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
The delegation from the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine included Taras Vysotskyi, Acting Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Liudmyla Khomichak, Deputy Director of the Department – Head of the Division for Food Security and Excise Products of the Department of State Policy in the Field of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, and Maryna Kyslytska, Head of the State Policy Division on Organic Production of the Food Security and Excise Products Directorate of the Department of State Policy in Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.
Thanks to the support of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, in 2018-2021, under the Financial Support for Agricultural Producers programme, the company received UAH 1.25 million to reimburse the cost of planting material (blueberry seedlings) and UAH 15 thousand to purchase sorting equipment. In addition, in 2023, the company received UAH 250 thousand under the Own Business grant programme to purchase equipment for irrigation system automation.
During his visit to the organic enterprise, Taras Vysotskyi noted: “It is important to support organic producers who contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture in Ukraine. The support of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine allows small agricultural producers like Organic Garden to develop and provide jobs in rural areas, increase production, enter new markets, and support the Ukrainian economy”.
Within the framework of the Comprehensive Programmes for Support and Development of Agriculture in Lviv Region for 2016-2020 and 2021-2025, the farm received UAH 163.6 thousand for reimbursement of the organic certification cost, support in the form of a subsidy per unit of organic land under cultivation, and reimbursement of the cost of purchased microbiological plant protection products and fertilisers for berries. In addition, under the Support Program, in 2023, the farm received a soft loan of UAH 500 thousand for 5 years with a deferred repayment for the purchase of planting material and organic fertilisers.
Tetiana Hetman, Director of the Department of Agricultural Development of Lviv Regional Military (State) Administration, visited Organic Garden as part of the delegation from Lviv RMA. She commented: “Producers such as Organic Garden bear a huge responsibility, a mistake in organic production can cost the reputation of the entire sector on the international market. Therefore, it is extremely important to calculate every step both at the stage of project implementation and at each stage of its scaling. Organic Garden is an example of implementing the right strategy for organic business development from the very beginning”.
Organic Garden grows organic blueberries on 15 hectares, capable of producing up to 70 tons of organic blueberries per season (plan for the 2024 season). It has its own refrigerators for storing fresh berries and 2 refrigerated trucks for fast delivery. Total 48 employees work on the farm (permanent and seasonal), including 35 women, which contributes to the gender balance in the organic sector.
Andreas Huber, Director of the Cooperation Program at the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, and Viktor Shutkevych, Assistant Director for Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, visited the farm on behalf of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine. The visit emphasised that Organic Garden is an example of a successful organic enterprise that is developing, increasing production volumes, and selling its products on the domestic market.
The company plans to increase production and for the first time participate as an exhibitor of the National Pavilion of Ukraine at the largest international organic trade fair BIOFACH in 2025. The National Pavilion will be organised by State Institution “Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office” and the Ukrainian Berries Association under the patronage of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and with the support of Switzerland within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian programs “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector of Ukraine” (QFTP) and the Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO).
Organic enterprises continue to produce and market certified organic products both domestically and internationally, including value-added products, and thus help the organic sector to build its capacity through support at the national and regional levels in cooperation with international projects and technical assistance programs supported by Switzerland.
Read more about the organic sector on the website of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
