The Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC) and the Consulting Center of the Association of Milk Producers continue to accept applications from dairy cattle farms (DCFs) to participate in a project to support small and medium-sized dairy cattle farms in frontline regions, implemented in partnership with the international humanitarian organization MERCY CORPS.

The goal of the project is to strengthen the economic resilience of small and medium-sized DCFs through comprehensive technological, advisory, and veterinary support. The project provides for the systematic support of each selected farm and includes:

• a comprehensive audit of the DCF (veterinary, technological, and the feeding block) with experts visiting the enterprise to assess the real state of affairs;
• the preparation of a detailed report identifying priority areas for improving operational processes;
• targeted support for the implementation of the recommendations throughout the period of the project's realization;
• a final audit and assessment of results;
• staff training and thematic webinars for participants.

A separate line of work is preparing farms for European standards, in particular: the implementation of production protocols, milk quality control, the maintenance of documentation and traceability, and herd health management.

An important component of the project is on-site visits by experts of the Consulting Center of the Association of Milk Producers, who will work together with farm staff, provide practical recommendations, and conduct training directly during the performance of production procedures.

"Small and medium-sized dairy cattle farms in frontline regions operate under conditions of constant security, economic, and personnel risks — from damaged infrastructure and disruptions in resources to unstable logistics and a shortage of specialists. And in the process of European integration, without professional support, farms risk losing access to the organized market and failing to meet the new requirements. That is why the project combines increasing the operational efficiency of farms with preparation for EU standards. The result is better indicators of herd health and reproduction, higher milk yields and milk quality, optimized costs, and more stable operation of the industry," noted the Deputy Chairman of the UAC, Dmytro Kokhan.

The project covers the entire territory of Ukraine, with the main focus on the regions most affected by the war: the Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Odesa, Kyiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad regions.

Within the framework of the project, it is planned to provide support to 100 DCFs. Preference in the selection of project participants will be given to affected enterprises. Assistance to such farms is a contribution to preserving the dairy sector in war-affected regions, supporting jobs in communities, and strengthening Ukraine's food security.

Conditions of participation:

• the farm keeps up to 750 dairy cows and is located in a target region of the project;
• the DCF pays 50% of the cost of services — UAH 45,000. The other 50% (UAH 45,000) is covered by the project.

You can fill out the application form to participate in the project at the link: https://forms.gle/aJ8jzjWb6h6FDQcb8

For clarifying questions, please contact the phone number: +38 067 474 85 35

For reference:

MERCY CORPS is an international humanitarian organization that operates in more than 40 countries worldwide and provides assistance to people suffering from disasters, wars, poverty, as well as the consequences of climate change.