Ukrainian Agricultural Products Risk Losing Markets in Africa and Asia Due to EU Requirements

This view was expressed by Oleh Khomenko, CEO of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB), in a comment to delo.ua.

According to him, Ukraine is ready for a transitional period to adapt to EU standards but will not agree to permanent restrictions on agricultural exports after joining the bloc. At the same time, the European Commission is proposing to restrict access for sensitive agricultural products to the EU market.

Oleh Khomenko explained that implementing European requirements will require significant investment from agricultural businesses. In particular, this concerns standards for food safety, animal welfare, environmental protection, and the use of plant protection products and fertilisers. The transition to European Union standards in the area of plant protection alone will cost Ukrainian agricultural producers approximately €2 billion annually.

«If Ukrainian producers are required to fully comply with EU standards but do not receive full access to the single market, the economic viability of such expenditure will require further assessment. In many markets, Ukrainian farmers have to compete with producers from russia, Argentina and Brazil. If competitors have lower production costs, Ukrainian exporters risk losing some of their customers,» he added.

Under such a scenario, the expert believes, Ukrainian farmers could find themselves in a situation where production costs continue to rise while opportunities to increase revenues through exports remain limited.

To reduce these risks, UCAB proposes providing a lengthy transitional period for the Ukrainian agricultural sector to adapt to EU requirements. This process could take around ten years.

«Expanding access to the European market should take place in parallel with the implementation of new standards. Such an approach would allow businesses to plan investments, gradually adapt production and avoid a sharp increase in the financial burden,» Oleh Khomenko concluded.