June 11, 2009
Ukraine policy ministry seeks cancellation of meat import licensing
Ukraine's Agrarian Policy Ministry is calling for the cancellation of meat import licensing, according to Agrarian policy minister Yurii Melnyk.
The minister said that the volume of meat imports to Ukraine is critical, adding that poor-quality meat is imported to the country at dumping prices in most cases.
In May alone, 42,000 tonnes of meat was imported and the meat imports over five months of 2009 are estimated at nearly 140,000 tonnes.
According to Melnyk, most of domestic producers of meat are extremely dissatisfied with the current system regulating imports.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy proposes to urgently replace the current system by state standards on meat products and obligatory inspections by Ukrainian specialists at companies willing to import meat to Ukraine's market.
The Economy Ministry in its turn has drafted a governmental resolution concerning the matter.
Earlier media reports state that with its governmental resolution of December 27, 2008, the ministers introduced licensing of meat, meat by-products and lard imports in 2009.
