On June 18, as part of AgroUkraineWeek, the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine (UDEU) held an extremely informative discussion dedicated to the strategic vectors of development of the domestic dairy sector in the context of European integration.
The dairy industry is at the stage of large-scale transformation. In order not to simply maintain production during European integration, but to turn Ukraine into a powerful player in the global milk market, it is necessary to act systematically and consistently.
As part of the event, Vadym Chagarovsky, Head of the UDEU, presented the dairy industry development strategy for 2026–2036. Clear growth guidelines and a framework for state policy were presented. The goal is to transition to an industrial development model that will ensure raw material security (by increasing industrial production to ~10 million tons of milk per year) and modernise processing capacities. The strategy provides for large-scale investment: €9 billion in the raw-material base and €6 billion in processing, which together will increase GDP by 2%.
Coordinator of the SMPU Committee on European Integration, Elizabeth Svyatkivska, presented the Roadmap for European Integration of the Dairy Industry, whose main goal is systemic transformation and harmonisation with EU requirements.
Special emphasis was placed on the environmental sustainability of processing. European integration requires strict compliance with environmental standards, and the key challenge for many is financing and constructing treatment facilities. In this context, the experience of the company “Loostdorf” is extremely valuable. Oleksandr Samokhvalov, advisor to the company “Loostdorf”, shared practical experience in implementing environmental projects at the enterprise. Cases of implementing treatment facilities and adhering to high environmental standards demonstrate that Ukrainian businesses can successfully implement best European practices today.
The topic of school milk was also touched upon. Vadym Chagarovsky, Chairman of the SMPU, emphasised the importance of restoring and developing school milk programs as a socially significant tool for supporting children’s health and, at the same time, an effective mechanism for stimulating domestic demand for dairy products. After all, this is a socially important initiative to support the health of our children and, at the same time, an effective tool for stimulating domestic demand and guaranteed support for domestic producers.
Raisa Mykhailova, General Director of Firma “Favor” LLC, actively participated in the discussion of the issue of baby food. As a recognised expert and innovator in children’s and functional nutrition, Ms Raisa emphasised the importance of a systemic approach to diet in educational institutions.
Full institutional and trade integration with the EU, opening access to European funds, and overcoming internal challenges (such as a shortage of funding and personnel) are possible only under the condition of synergy between business, specialised associations, and authorities.
