On October 17, the 17th International Dairy Congress was held, bringing together hundreds of industry participants—producers, processors, scientists, and government officials.

Andrii Dykun, Chairman of the Ukrainian Agri Council and President of the Association of Milk Producers, moderated the panel discussion “European integration and regulatory changes from the perspective of Ukraine's dairy industry” and outlined the key challenges and opportunities for the industry in the context of European integration.

"If I had to choose between resolving the issue of the land bank or investing in livestock farming, I would invest in dairy farming. Because the dairy farming that we have created in Ukraine today is accepted and recognized by Europe. On the other hand, our crop production, which we consider to be extremely efficient, is not perceived in the same way by the EU. And I don't think Europe will allow us to work the way we did before. This is a big job that will need to be done in the coming years by both parliament and the ministry," said Andrii Dykun.

Ukraine is moving towards the European Union, and the prospects of membership by 2030 are becoming increasingly realistic. This means that the Ukrainian agricultural sector must adapt to European rules.

"Hundreds of farms have been closed in the Netherlands over the past year, and milk production is declining across Europe as a whole. The factories remain, but there is less raw material. If we work within the same system as the EU — and there is no other way for us — large European processors will come to Ukraine. And whether we like it or not, this opens up new opportunities for our dairy sector. We used to be afraid of the Dutch, but today we are building farms that are just as good as theirs," said the UAC Chairman.

The future of the industry lies in the creation of cooperatives and clusters that will allow Ukrainian producers and processors to unite, attract investment, and jointly enter global markets.

"There should be a five-year regional strategy. We need to identify factories, territories, and the radius for collecting raw materials, and invest in joint projects together. The initiative must come from below — from the milk producers themselves. Because if we don't do this now, in five years there will be no one to sell milk to," emphasized Andrii Dykun.

He also called on agricultural associations to unite around the preparation of legislative initiatives, in particular regarding trade regulation and support for dairy production.

"These issues cannot be put on the back burner. Next week, we need to get together, determine a list of legislative initiatives—on trade, VAT, and the grey market—and, together with the associations, approach the relevant committee to start promoting them. We may have big strategic plans, but in the short term, we need to survive," concluded the UAC Chairman.

The International Dairy Congress is an annual professional event organized by the Association of Milk Producers (AMP) that brings together leading farmers, experts, processors, technology suppliers, and partners in the dairy industry. The event is the main platform for exchanging experience, presenting modern solutions, and discussing trends in the development of the milk market in Ukraine.

During the Congress, participants receive analytics from international and Ukrainian experts, learn about new technologies for animal husbandry and feeding, and discuss regulatory changes affecting the sector. The event promotes the development of partnerships, increases production efficiency, and shapes a common strategy for the development of the industry.