The profitability of livestock farming in Ukraine increased by five times over a year.

Experts state considerable rise in the profitability of livestock sector in 2009. The trend is supposed to strengthen.

As early as in 2008 Ukrainian livestock sector too a stable position in the list of low-profitability agricultural sectors. According to the data of the specialists of the correspondent association «Ukrainian Club of Agricultural Business» (UCAB), a year ago the average profitability of this industry enterprises was up to 0,1%. In 2009 it increased to 5,4%, despite all the difficulties, suffered at that time by the Ukrainian economy.

Elizaveta Svyatkivska, an expert of UCAB, noticed that on the market of meat and meat products, the essential segments that pushed the growth were swine breeding, the production of milk and eggs. At the same time experts mark that pre-conditions for profitable operations are hidden not only in situations on markets, but also in improving technologies at agricultural enterprises.

«Over 2009 Ukraine maintained quite high prices for pork comparing to the world level of prices remaining the reasonable cost of forage. This enabled to increase the production profitability. Besides, a significant role in the process belongs to the use of contemporary feeding technologies», - notes Vitaliy Lokhov, general director of «Biomin Ukraine» company, an official representative of the global holding Erber Group, engaged in the production of food for animals. According to him, in 2009 the major producers of pork started to use modern food additives more actively.

UCAB experts claim that in 2010 agricultural enterprises continue to grow the total number of pigs. For example, as of 1 March this year it increased by 22% comparing to the same period of previous year. At the same time the prices went down by 22,5%. However, this, according to the association specialists, will not stop the trend of profitability growth in this agricultural sector.