Photo from NV
The sector has created 1,500 jobs.
The Ukrainian Fur Farmers Association (UFFA) says more than UAH 30 million (US$1.22 million) is transferred by local mink farms to budgets of different levels annually, while relevant exports bring up to US$70 million in foreign currency earnings.
"The sector has created 1,500 jobs, mainly in rural areas, as mink farms are located there. This prevents labor migration from Ukraine and creates decent working conditions in the country," the UFFA's press service said on February 7.
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UFFA Chairman Volodymyr Fedyna noted the average monthly wage in the industry is UAH 12,000-16,000 (US$489-652).
"It's very profitable for Ukraine to have mink farms, as it means large taxes, jobs, and modern European high-tech facilities, which have already received over US$100 million in investment," he said. "This is ordinary livestock production. Ukrainian law defines minks as farm animals such as pigs, cows, rabbits, and chickens."
Fedyna says the main thing is not to trust scary video stories from the Internet, as they have nothing to do with reality and civilized mink farming. Animals are slaughtered in the only humane and painless legal way, which is prescribed by EU Council Regulation No. 1099/2009 of September 24, 2009. Animals are euthanized with chilled, purified gas, while they do not experience pain and suffering.
"All mink carcasses are processed at specialized factories, where protein-rich meat and bone meal is produced. Moreover, mink fat is used in cosmetics as it has unique and very valuable properties," he said.
Fedyna stresses that it is strictly forbidden to use formaldehydes, high-density metals, preservatives and any chemicals at mink farms since all relevant goods are exported to the European Union for international auctions, which strictly prohibit the use of any chemicals when processing mink carcasses.
According to him, Ukrainian-produced fur is not sold in Ukraine, it is sent to auctions in Denmark.
"Today, Ukraine's share in global mink farming is a mere 1%. But our potential allows us to ambitiously count on at least 10%," Oleksiy Skorokhod, an expert of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council, said.
In Ukraine, more than 10 mink farms have been registered, but only four of them in fact work, he said.