Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine is working out the ways to increase milk consumption
It is necessary to increase the consumption of milk and dairy products in Ukraine. The Government livestock industry support programs will help it. They have already given positive results. It has been increased milk and dairy products production as well as stabilized cattle herds. The project «Three milk products a day» should also contribute this process. This was discussed during the round table dedicated to «Current status and prospects of milk production and its consumption increase» that took place within the XXV International Agricultural Exhibition «AGRO-2013».
It was discussed the ways to increase consumption of milk and milk products, shortages of milk in the diet of schoolchildren, the prospects of the project «The three dairy products a day» and the potential of regions to increase milk production and dairy products consumption. Representatives of Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, central and local authorities, milk market NGOs, research institutions of NAAS of Ukraine and leading dairy companies took part in the discussion.
Thus, the participants agreed that Ukraine needs farms that will help improve the quality of raw milk supplied to the processing plants. However, the Head of Food Agriculture Department of the Ministry Olexander Kuts mentioned that the implemented by the Ministry programs have given positive results. In particular, Ukraine has stabilized herd of cattle and increased milk production at both farms and enterprises.
«Giving compensations for milking machines purchase to the owners of 3 and more cows, the State both encourages small producers to have more animals and improves the quality of milk. In turn, the producer gets more money,» said Olexander Kuts. The roundtable participants have also noted that the implementation of measures to promote consumption of milk and dairy products, in particular within the project «The three dairy products a day» will increase the production of dairy products, increase its consumption and will improve the health of the citizens. The growth of industrial production and milk processing will create new jobs and increase payments to the state budget.