The Ukrainian Carpathians on the way to the EU: people and cases
Oleksandr Martyn is the head of the Association of Traditional Carpathian and Highland Cheese Producers, which was established in 2018 in Rakhiv region with the support of the EU project «Support to the Development of a Geographical Indications System in Ukraine». Today, the association counts 33 members, including producers, a restaurateur and a guide at the Bryndzya Museum.
Before the association was created, Hutsul Sheep Cheese Bryndzya producers had a lot of operational burdens. Being both a farmer and a producer, the owner had to keep livestock, procure feed, manufacture and sell the products. The only way to sell their products was through food markets, which means below their cost price and competing with producers of similar products from lowland regions, where working conditions are much easier.
In the highlands, production conditions, such as transfer and fodder harvesting, are more challenging due to the altitude and landscape. For example, in the Rakhiv region, pastures are located at an altitude ranging from 1200 to 1800 metres above sea level.
However, highland cheeses are a unique and valuable product: the herds graze at an altitude of over 700 metres, in alpine meadows with herbs and Red Book plants, with a very short cheese production period of just 4 months.
With the help of experts from the EU project «Support to the Development of a Geographical Indications System in Ukraine», the association members created a product specification for the Hutsul Bryndzya Cheese, recorded the unique technology of its production, and developed algorithms and rules for food safety and created an internal quality control system.
As a result, the first Ukrainian geographical indication, Hutsul sheep Bryndzya, was registered, which meets all European requirements and is eligible for recognition in the EU.
And for two years now, Bryndzia has been successfully sold not at UAH 120 per kilo price, as it used to be, but at UAH 700, which corresponds to its true cost. Certainly, this was preceded by market research, which was used to develop marketing strategies, training, and a lot of work to promote the unique product and attract tourists.
Tourist routes have been developed through the mountain farms, so farmers can now sell their products to tourists without intermediaries. The products are labelled in common and include information on the packaging about the manufacturer, the place of production, production facilities, and expiry date.
Oleksandr Martyn is optimistic about the challenges of European integration: «As an association, we are currently accessing information and can adapt and improve standards. By the time all these norms are implemented in Ukraine, we will be ready.»
Currently, the Association cooperates with European projects, including IPRSA (the EU project «Institutional and Policy Reform of Smallholder Agriculture in Ukraine»). It serves as one of the pilot cells of the ACIS system in Ukraine.
This article prepared in the frame of “Green and inclusive agricultural policy – steps towards” project implementing by ICO IC «Green Dossier» with the support of the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation within the framework «European Renaissance of Ukraine» project.
Its content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation.
