Recently, at an alarming pace, demand for environmentally friendly products - "organic" - is beginning to grow. In the European Union there is a fairly rigorous legislation on organic production, which provides for the establishment of rules of production, labeling and control of the quality of environmentally friendly products and consumer protection, informing consumers about organic products, methods of its production and benefits for human health and life.

In Ukraine, a little more than 200 farms grow “organic”. Viktor Shcherbachuk, general director of Deddens Agro Ltd and Ritter Bio Agro Ltd, who is a member of the Ukrainian Agricultural Council (UAC) since 2017, will tell about how ecologically clean products are grown in Ukrainian realities.

EXPORT, INTERNAL MARKET

Our agricultural companies grow winter wheat, soybeans, sunflower, oats, lentils, corn, beans, sugar beet, strawberries, raspberries and vegetables without use of pesticides, mineral fertilizers, growth regulators and artificial food additives on the fields of Ukraine. Basically, our products are exported, with the most active foreign partner today - Germany. The domestic market is only 25% of the products. And to increase this percentage is not yet possible, because our consumer is not ready for mass organic. People understand that eco-friendly products are a guarantee of health, but unfortunately they do not have the means to buy it.

INNOVATIONS

We have developed our own technology and today it is very successful. Unlike traditional production, where you gave the plant a fertilizer, sprayed it with pesticides - and it has grown, in the organic you should have an approach to each plant, combined with the care of the earth. Every year about 300g we sow alfalfa, in order to improve the quality of soil and ensure the development of useful microflora to improve soil fertility. We use the practice of wide-range sowing, as well, we adhere to the crop rotation, because it is a guarantee of high yield.

PRODUCTIVITY

Productivity depends on the culture itself. For example, in terms of grain production, we are lagging behind about 30% of enterprises that grow these crops in a traditional way. And in the production of soybeans and sunflowers, we do not yield to farms that are engaged in intensive production.

HELP OF THE STATE

The main thing is that it does not interfere. The moratorium on inspections was lifted and now they are beginning to inspect taxpayers. As for subsidies, our state can only pay them to oligarchs, but not to average agricultural enterprises that pay taxes in good faith and use their capabilities to improve the infrastructure of the area.

Now the market is saturated with poor quality Chinese goods, as soon as they propose a law on their import - it will always be supported. And what really matters to preserve ecology and improve the state of agriculture in Ukraine is ignored.

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO MAKE THE GROWING OF "ORGANICS"

You never know what you can do till you try. Only this way will we save our country.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

We have big plans. We want to make our own recycling, but this requires funds. Now you need to load a car, take it to the elevator, collapse, go back, and only then you can go abroad. It would be desirable that the raw materials be processed immediately on the territory.

UAC

UAC is the only effective union that protects agrarian interests and supports us in different directions of our activities. Agrarians have to unite.

Certificate. Deddens Agro Ltd. was founded on November 21, 2006. Ritter Bio Agro Ltd. - March 20, 2013. The activity of enterprises is aimed at growing organic crops, purchasing organic products throughout Ukraine and exporting to the EU. Since 2013, enterprises are certified according to Naturland standards.

The head of "Deddens Agro" Ltd. and "Ritter Bio Agro" Ltd is Viktor M. Shcherbachuk, Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences. He began his career as an agronomist, from 2000 to 2013.