Ukraine needs €240m to reach EU pig industry standards
Transforming Ukraine’s pig industry to comply with EU veterinary and animal welfare standards will cost about 12 billion hryvnia (€240 million). That figure was shared by Oksana Jurchenko, president of the Ukrainian Pig Farmers Association, in comments to local news outlet Delo.
The figure remains indicative, as a number of farms across the country have already adopted European production practices voluntarily, even in the absence of formal legal requirements.
Ukraine has been steadily aligning its livestock sector with EU veterinary and animal welfare standards in a bid to strengthen the export potential of its pig and poultry industries.
As part of this process, new European integration requirements for farm animal welfare came into force on January 1, 2026. In March, the government also implemented updated regulations governing animal welfare during slaughter and transportation.
Increasing farm construction costs
Building a new farm in compliance with EU standards would increase construction costs by about 25% to 30% compared to current levels, Jurchenko said.
For existing operations, the transition will not be limited to equipment upgrades. In many cases, farms will need to reconstruct facilities to meet specific requirements, such as the mandated ratio between solid and slatted flooring.
Sow housing in the spotlight
Although some segments of the industry are already moving towards EU-compliant practices, significant investments are still needed to meet European standards for sow housing. Jurchenko said, “This primarily affects larger farms. Small and medium-sized farms often use group housing for sows, as this approach requires lower capital investment in construction or renovation.”
In contrast, large-scale farms have traditionally relied on individual housing systems, which facilitate closer monitoring of each animal’s condition and allow for quicker identification of health issues, she noted.
State support needed for pig housing transition
It remains uncertain how producers will finance the transition. Jurchenko suggested that targeted state support programmes – such as partial reimbursement of compliance costs – would be beneficial. However, she acknowledged that such mechanisms are currently not in place in Ukraine.
