As Ukraine enters the second 12 months of its battle in opposition to Russia’s invasion, the nation’s pet meals producers are making efforts to spice up their manufacturing capacities and export gross sales, but additionally assist Ukraine’s pets, lots of which many have been displaced as a result of ongoing conflict.
Rostyslav Vovk, CEO and co-owner of Ukrainian pet meals maker Kormotech, advised Petfoodindustry.com that, regardless of final 12 months’s hardship, the corporate invested greater than €12 million (US$13 million) in ramping up its manufacturing capacities in Ukraine and Lithuania.
“In 2023, our Lithuanian capability will improve by 4,000 tons in early April, and in Ukraine, it’s going to broaden by 10,000 tons of moist pet meals pouches in the summertime. To mitigate dangers, we may even broaden our warehouse in Poland,” he stated.
Nonetheless increasing internationally
Within the early section of Russia’s conflict in opposition to Ukraine, quite a few Ukrainian companies had been compelled to considerably scale back or, in some instances, even shut down their manufacturing actions. A 12 months later, companies equivalent to Kormotech proceed to fabricate their merchandise regardless of the continuing navy actions, as quite a few Ukrainian firms have tailored their enterprise fashions to the ensuing challenges within the fields of logistics and advertising.
Vovk stated that Kormotech, which exports its pet meals to about 38 nations in Europe and different continents, can be planning to attend quite a few trade reveals this 12 months, together with World Pet Expo in Orlando within the U.S., and Zoomark Worldwide in Italy’s Bologna, as a part of its worldwide growth plans.
“Final 12 months was very tough for Ukraine’s pet meals trade, however our firm managed to come back out of it stronger, with a 20% improve in income in contrast with 2021. We had a turnover of US$124 million, and this 12 months, we goal to boost it to US$150 million,” Vovk stated. “In 2023, Kormotech will give attention to the U.S., Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Moldova, and we intend to dive deeper into these markets to seize a better market share.”
The corporate “goes out of its option to have interaction with shoppers, find out about their routines and supply merchandise that meet pet homeowners’ calls for,” he stated. Different plans by the Ukrainian pet meals maker embody an overhaul of its product vary, guided by the corporate’s new methodology, jobs to be performed, based mostly on the wants of its shoppers, Vovk added.
Serving to pets in want in Ukraine
On the similar time, the CEO stated Kormotech continues to ship pet meals to these in want beneath its Save Pets of Ukraine initiative, allocating its personal merchandise and funds to the mission, but additionally cooperating with charities from the U.S., Lithuania and different nations.
“Up to now, we now have delivered some 900 tons of prepared pet meals merchandise to Ukrainian pets in want, together with 200 tons of Kormotech merchandise,” Vovk stated. “We’ve raised a complete of US$3 million to help native pets, and we’re grateful to our companions and donors within the U.S., the European Union and Ukraine. We additionally need to launch a brand new shelter patronage program quickly, Undertake Pets of Ukraine, and we hope to encourage foreigners to undertake Ukrainian pets who’ve suffered due to this conflict.”
Harchovi Technologii Zakarpattya’s product vary consists of its Pan Kot cat meals model. l Courtesy of Harchovi Technologii Zakarpattya.
Partaking with native Ukrainian communities
Harchovi Technologii Zakarpattya, a Ukranian pet meals producer that sells its output beneath the Carpathian Pet Meals model, amongst others, has additionally tailored its actions to the wartime actuality, however the firm’s administration stays assured that Ukraine’s pet meals sector will solely change into stronger by partaking with the native communities.
“Regardless of being situated even in a quiet area a whole bunch of kilometers from the conflict zone, our firm has additionally been compelled to make changes,” an organization spokesperson stated. “From the very starting of the full-scale invasion of Russia in opposition to Ukraine, individuals felt worry and panic, in addition to uncertainty concerning the future. And due to this, we quickly misplaced many consumers and representatives within the northern, japanese and southern components of Ukraine.
“However after a sure time frame, the Ukrainian Armed Forces pushed out the aggressor from the bigger quickly occupied a part of our nation, and provides to those areas started to regularly resume,” the spokesperson continued. “We presently work with many well-known grocery store chains, retail shops, pet shops and distributors.”
Harchovi Technologii Zakarpattya’s first export locations had been the Baltic States, Poland and Slovakia, and presently, its largest international markets are Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova, in addition to Germany, Malaysia, Israel, Serbia, Georgia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece and Italy. This 12 months, the producer plans to enter new markets: the U.S., the United Arab Emirates, France, Spain, the U.Ok., Sweden, Norway, Finland and Turkey, based on the corporate consultant.
“We’re presently engaged on new merchandise, in addition to new varieties of feed for the prevailing manufacturers,” the spokesperson stated, including that new manufacturers of dry and moist meals for cats and canines had been underway.
“We additionally don’t forget about our important customers: cats and canines who misplaced their homeowners, their properties or the chance to be fed because of Russia’s navy aggression. That’s why we commonly donate our meals on to conflict zones and war-torn areas,” added the corporate consultant.
Adamowski is a contract journalist based mostly in Warsaw, Poland. He has written on numerous industries, together with pet meals, drinks, telecoms, power, protection and pensions, for quite a few English-language publications.
