From 3 to 7 November, officials of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection visited Latvia and the State Plant Protection Service: Serhii Tkachuk, Head of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Vadym Chaikovskyi, Deputy Head for Phytosanitary Issues, and representatives of the Kyiv and Ternopil regional offices. The purpose of the visit was to gain practical insight into the European Union system of official controls in the fields of plant health and plant protection, as well as to promote professional dialogue between specialists from the two countries.
Experts from the State Plant Protection Service shared experience in implementing European Union requirements on the sustainable use of pesticides and official controls in Latvian legislation and in practical inspections of farms.
The guests visited the Ministry of Agriculture, where they learned about agricultural policy-making in phytosanitary and plant protection matters. The discussions emphasised the importance of interinstitutional cooperation in ensuring an effective supervision system.
The experts also visited the Food and Veterinary Service, where they learned about procedures for controlling imports of plants and plant products.
As part of the practical training visit, the colleagues from Ukraine visited the farm “Vaidelotes” in Bauska Municipality. The farm's owner Arnolds Jātnieks, shared his experience of how a diverse choice of crops and well-planned crop rotation help manage production risks, maintain soil fertility and ensure sustainable production. The experts got to know the latest technologies and their use in monitoring the farm’s fields, assessing plant health, precision fertilisation and using plant protection products.
During the visit, the guests met with President of the Latvian Association of Agronomists Ringolds Arnītis and discussed the importance of promoting the professional development of agronomists and the association’s cooperation with state institutions. The discussions highlighted the role of professional organisations in promoting the exchange of experience among farmers and the introduction of the latest technologies for the development of sustainable and knowledge-based agriculture.
At the end of the visit, the colleagues from Ukraine lwere introduced to the work of the National Phytosanitary Laboratory, the National Seed Control Laboratory and the Agrochemical Laboratory of the State Plant Protection Service, methods for testing plants, seeds and soil and identifying pests, as well as the laboratories’ quality assurance systems.
The visit took place within the framework of the grant project “Improving the Phytosanitary System in Ukraine” of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The aim of the project is to strengthen the production of food and crop products in Ukraine in line with European Union standards and to promote the involvement of public groups in decision-making, including training for inspectors of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection and farmers.
The project supports Ukraine in implementing European Union standards, ensuring that food and crop products exported to other European Union countries, including Latvia, comply with good agricultural practice and European Union food safety and phytosanitary safety standards.
