According to Oksana Yurchenko, although the Association brings together more than 60 producers, its members account for over 70% of industrial pork production in Ukraine. At the same time, the sector remains almost entirely oriented toward the domestic market, which creates a “ceiling” for further development without opening export opportunities.
A significant part of the podcast was devoted to African swine fever (ASF). The disease remains one of the main constraining factors not only for production but also for international trade, as outbreaks entail the complete culling of herds and prolonged downtime for farms, with no effective compensation mechanisms in place. A separate segment addressed the debate around an ASF vaccine. Ms Yurchenko stressed that, as of today, there is no registered ASF vaccine in either Ukraine or the European Union, and that hasty decisions in this area could create additional risks for the sector and for exports.
The conversation also covered European integration and animal welfare requirements. According to industry estimates, compliance with these standards in industrial pig farming alone will require investments amounting to billions, while effective financial support programmes are currently lacking.
The full conversation with Oksana Yurchenko is available in video format at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YixZyNUehNk