Today, representatives of ten agrarian associations held a joint press conference, during which they criticized the government's initiative to reform the State Food and Consumer Service and the establishment of the State Disease Control Service with SES functions on its basis. This was reported by UAC press service.

“The agrarian community supports the government's initiative to strengthen control over public health,” Denys Marchuk, UAC Deputy Chairman, said, “but this should not happen through the reorganization of the State Food and Consumer Service”.

"We would like to see a realistic scenario that does not call into question the food security system, which is based on clear and understandable legal requirements. So far, the proposals that have been made regarding the reorganization of the State Food and Consumer Service do not have a strategy. And this is a problem," Volodymyr Lapa, a strategic development adviser to the UCAB president said.

Leonid Kozachenko, president of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, assert “both the European Business Association and the American Chamber of Commerce, as well as all those who work in Ukraine, are concerned about the initiative of Ministry of Health's. In addition, they cannot understand on what basis the decision on reorganization of the State Food and Consumer Service can be made. After all, it is the business that will suffer from this,” the expert said.

The efficiency of the current State Consumer Service is proved by the fact that today Ukraine exports its products to 156 countries. According to Vitalii Bashynskyi, head of the Public Council at the State Food and Consumer Service, exports can increase after Ukraine's only competent organization (the State Consumer Service) was established, which has an information on the entire food production chain, from seeding to result products. It was created at the basis of the basic model that exists in the European Union,” the Chairman of the board of directors of the "Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine" Vadym Chagarovsky added.

"The reorganization of this organization will be a big surprise for many countries. Because international veterinary certificates will need to be redesigned and agreed with the relevant authorities of many countries. This will suspend exports for 2-3 years," he said.

The reorganization of the State Food and Consumer Service carries significant risks for the export-oriented poultry industry” the executive director of the Union of Poultry Farmers of Ukraine Serhii Karpenko explained.

"During the establishment of the service and its activities, we have tripled the export of our products. Access to the markets of other countries involves the assessment of the food safety control system at the first place, than - the signing of international certificates. We will lose our exports due to the revaluation of the control system. As a result – we will re-sign certificates with our partner countries," the expert explains.

Anna Lavrenyuk, AMP Vice President on Public Relations, noted that reorganization of the State Food and Consumer Service would lead to increased unjustified imports of dairy products to Ukraine from European countries, as well as the return of corruption schemes.

"Representatives of dairy farms are concerned, because it is possible to the model of increasing the control pressure on industrial enterprises can be returned. Bodies that will essentially duplicate their functions will return to the Soviet-era model with its fiscal and other corruption components. That is why it is unacceptable" she said.

For the pig industry, the reform of the State Food and Consumer Service is also unacceptable, because the epizootic situation in Ukraine is difficult and it is thanks to the State Food and Consumer Service that high risks can be stabilized.

"We often hear: Ukrainians are malnourished by meat and dairy products… If we want to provide consumers, we must create conditions when businesses are confident in the future, so that there is no turbulence. In fact, this is a question of control, it is also one of the main ones in ensuring stability," Oksana Yurchenko, President of the Association of Pig Breeders of Ukraine said.

Vlada Mironova, the head of the Public Union “Control of Consumer Protection”, also opposed the reorganization of the State Food and Consumer Service. After all, the incompetent idea of ​​the Ministry of Health will affect consumers of products.

“For several years, the PU has struggled a lot with businesses that provide counterfeit, dangerous, low-quality products, but when the State Food and Consumer Service was established, we saw that we have an organization that can control the quality and safety of food. Therefore, if we currently receive a reorganization of the State Food and Consumer Service, the consumer, firstly, will not know where to go, what products he receives, what to do now," she added.

In return, the director of Ukrainian Agrarian Forum Maria Didukh notified that in addition to the representatives of agrarian associations, the decision on the inexpediency of reorganizing the State Food and Consumer Service is supported by 17 other leading associations of Ukraine, as well as the European Business Association, the American Chamber of Commerce and a number of European projects operating in Ukraine. She expressed hope that the government would hear the business and promote its development.