president.gov.ua
The implementation of the law will bring Ukrainian legislation in line with the European Union regulations.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on July 30 signed the law on basic principles and requirements for organic production, turnover and labeling of organic products.
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, adopted the relevant bill on July 10.
Read alsoOrganic grain terminal to be built in Ukraine
The implementation of the law will ensure the improvement and harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with that of the European Union in the field of production and turnover of organic products. This will help create transparent business conditions, reduce unfair competition, increase the competitiveness of domestic organic products and expand foreign markets for sale, the presidential press service said.
The law establishes basic principles and requirements for organic production, turnover and labeling of organic products, as well as grounds for the legal regulation of organic production and trade in organic products.
In addition, the document forms the legal basis for activities of central executive agencies and players of the organic products market, as well as outlines the state policy in the relevant field.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian producers annually exported about 300,000 tonnes of organic products worth over US$65 million.
According to Ukraine's Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry, the area of organic and transitional lands in 2016 totaled 381,170 hectares, including 289,550 hectares of organic lands. The annual domestic market for organic products is estimated at EUR 21-22 million.
Organic production was one of the ministry's priorities in 2017.
The agrarian ministry plans to develop the production of organic products to bring its share in gross agricultural production to 3% by 2020. Now, 1% of arable land in Ukraine is used for cultivation of organic products.