From 29 September to 3 October, the State Plant Protection Service hosted a delegation from the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection. The visit took place as part of the grant project “Improving the Phytosanitary System in Ukraine” of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the project “Grain Storage Support for Ukrainian Farms”, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Over the course of five days, colleagues from Ukraine had the opportunity to learn about the system of plant passports and phytosanitary surveys and their digitalisation in the European Union and Latvia, the procedures for the use of plant protection products, training for users of plant protection products, as well as inspections of plants and plant products before export.
In addition to theoretical training, the visit also included trips to several farms and institutions in different regions of Latvia: the agricultural cooperative society “Dāmnieki”, farm “Vaidelotes”, the Cooperative Society of Agricultural Services “LATRAPS”, plant nursery "Heimanis stādaudzētava", farm “Gulbji”, and the Institute of Horticulture.
At the farms, representatives of the Ukrainian delegation were introduced to the practical use of plant protection products, the issuing of plant passports in nurseries and inspections of nurseries, as well as grain production, certification and export processes. The visit also provided an opportunity to learn more about the daily work of the inspectors of the State Plant Protection Service.
The objectives of the projects include strengthening the production of food and crop products in Ukraine in line with European Union standards, as well as developing the system for grain storage and export certification.
