Accomplishments – Initial Industry Assessment. The PFID’s Technical Committee collected the necessary information for an initial assessment through visits with key stakeholders in May and June 2001. Team members from WFLO observed that cold chain methodology and logistics were under- developed. They noticed a lesser emphasis placed on improved refrigeration and distribution processes, little or no use of information management systems and a poor transportation pipeline. Most frozen or refrigerated products are exported to Russia. WFLO witnessed challenges facing Ukraine and Moldova similar to those facing other emerging markets, such as: third-country competition, financing problems and unfamiliarity with the demands for quality products. Compliance with international guidelines would be facilitated through cooperative endeavors within associations. Academic institutions, such as the Odessa State Academy for Refrigeration (OSAR) also have useful links to the processing industry. XXXX suggested that a weak local association could improve by linking with a stronger and more global association. WFLO can conduct training of trainer courses, in collaboration with academic institutions and other development projects in the area, for association development. In Ukraine, there are more than one thousand small meat plants and approximately thirty plants that produce more than one thousand kilograms per day. In Moldova, there are approximately a dozen meat-processing plants with daily production capacity larger than one thousand kilograms. Pork is the most highly consumed meat, with little beef or lamb consumption due to livestock supplies. A majority of the production of the large meat plants is shipped to former Soviet Union countries. Most of the meat plants have a combination of older and some newer equipment. In Ukraine, there are about 320 poultry enterprises, with thirty percent currently idle. The poultry plants seemed to have moderate to high capacities, but were limited by the numbers of birds. The Moldovan poultry industry is largely dependent upon small producers. There are limited natural fishery resources in the Ukraine. However, the Port of Odessa could serve as one of the most important hubs for seafood processing in Eastern Europe by importing raw materials for value-added food processing. It has large facilities but has suffered from neglect over the last ten years. Nearly all facilities visited were operating at only a fraction of their production capabilities. Moldova has aquaculture potentia...
