Ukrainian fish may appear on the menu of schools, hospitals and the Armed Forces: what the Ministry of Agrarian Policy says
Kyiv • UNN
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy plans to increase the consumption of Ukrainian fish in public institutions. Currently, Ukraine imports $1 billion worth of fish products, while exporting only $19 million.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy is considering increasing the consumption of Ukrainian fish in educational, healthcare, Armed Forces and other institutions, UNN reports.
During the Ministry of Agrarian Policy event, participants discussed the prospects and benefits of including fish products in the diet of military personnel, visitors to educational and healthcare institutions, and convicts.
The Minister emphasized that in order to build a sustainable economy, Ukraine needs to ensure real incomes, tax revenues and job creation in the agricultural sector. One of the steps in this direction is to increase domestic consumption of domestic products, including fish.
"The fishing industry can become one of the drivers of domestic consumption of Ukrainian products. The main priorities of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy are the transition from an agrarian to an agro-industrial country. We need to become self-sufficient, added value, and deep processing. It is necessary to reboot the system of fish production, sale and consumption. We need to make high-quality Ukrainian fish products available to all consumers. In particular, in schools, the army, hospitals, at affordable prices. It is also important to foster a culture of consumption of domestic fish as a local product among the population. This will become the foundation for increasing fish exports," Vitaliy Koval emphasized.
The minister noted that Ukraine currently imports one billion dollars worth of fish products, while exports amount to only 19 million dollars, and this situation needs to be changed.
During the roundtable, the participants supported the initiative of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy to increase the share of Ukrainian fish in the diets of the Armed Forces, educational institutions, medical institutions and other organizations. They also agreed to prepare proposals for a decision in the near future.
Recall
Ukraine expects $24.5 billion in agricultural exports this year, the second highest figure in its history.
