According to her, most of the basic requirements are already effectively implemented. However, their full adoption is complicated by the specifics of Ukrainian production — particularly the structure of large-scale industrial operators, the need for equipment upgrades or reconstruction in some cases, and restrictions on certain practices due to epizootic risks, including ASF. In addition, adapting to the new standards requires significant investment, which the industry largely finances independently.
Educational initiatives are becoming an important support tool for producers. In particular, the online course “Pig Welfare: Best Practices and Inspection Features” on the AgriAcademy platform provides free access to structured knowledge and practical solutions, along with certification upon completion. The topic of pig welfare is also comprehensively covered in the special issue of the Profitable Pig Farming journal, “Guidelines on Pig Welfare,” which includes practical recommendations, explanations of regulatory requirements, and examples of farm-level adaptation solutions.
In addition, the Association is involved in training inspectors, developing industry guidelines, and cooperating with agricultural universities. It also plans to contribute to the development of guidelines on animal welfare during transport and slaughter.
The speaker also highlighted the new law on veterinary medicine, which changes approaches to antibiotic use and veterinary service provision. In particular, producers must either engage licensed veterinarians or obtain the appropriate authorization at the enterprise level.
According to the expert, during the transition period the sector may face a slowdown in technological development, as the new rules require changes in treatment, prevention, and animal health management practices. At the same time, the Association plans to conduct research to assess the real challenges of this transition and identify effective alternatives to existing practices.
Thus, Ukraine’s pig sector is entering a new phase of transformation, where access to knowledge, effective communication with regulators, and producers’ readiness to adapt to modern European requirements will be ключовими чинниками успіху.
Practical recommendations for implementing the new requirements are available in the free online course on the AgriAcademy platform, as well as in the journal Profitable Pig Farming, “Guidelines on Pig Welfare.”