(within the frame of the Grant Programme in the Organic Sector supported by Switzerland)
About the farm
Agro-Lux Farm is an organic family farm located in Korop district of Chernihiv region, in Polissia region bordering russia. For more than 30 years, the farm has been operating in accordance with the principles of organic production, environmental protection, and responsible use of resources.
The farm’s organic status has been confirmed since 2008 — every year the company undergoes certification of its crop products and milk. Agro-Lux farms 124 ha of land and has 84 cattle, including 50 dairy cows. Before the full-scale war, the main area of sales was supply of organic milk to processing plants.
The outbreak of hostilities and actual isolation of the community became a critical challenge for the farm: logistics chains were destroyed, and it became impossible to deliver milk to the plants. During this period, milk was distributed free of charge to local residents and internally displaced persons. This experience became the impetus for a strategic decision to set up their own mini processing plant for organic milk.
Support within the Grant Program and achievements
Before the full-scale invasion, Agro-Lux already had experience in processing dairy products but obtaining organic certification for processing requires improving many processes. The farm’s representatives took part in the practical course “Certification of Processing: A Step-by-Step Course for Organic Enterprises” organised by the project “Women Entrepreneurship in the Organic Sector” (WEOS), as well as a mentoring programme, where they gained additional knowledge and advice to implement their strategy.
The farm has already implemented a complete closed production cycle — from husbandry and milk production to processing. The range of certified organic products currently includes only butter, but the farm also produces cream, sour cream, yoghurt, fermented baked milk, and soft cheeses, and plans to expand certification to include these products.
In order to implement the strategic plans, it was important to ensure the farm’s energy independence. Within the Grant Program in the Organic Sector supported by Switzerland Agro-Lux purchased a power generator to ensure uninterrupted milk processing during scheduled and emergency power outages.
In addition, the grant helped to develop product labelling and purchase packaging for the products. Currently, the products can be pre-ordered through the farm’s website www.agrolux-farm.com.ua, which was also created with the funds of the grant project.
The grant has ensured stable operation of the processing plant in the face of energy risks and laid the groundwork for expanding the range of products and increasing sales in the future.
Plans for the future
Agro-Lux is moving towards its strategic goal and plans to continue expanding its range of processed organic products and increasing sales. Thanks to the website and its integrated online store, the farm has more opportunities to spread the word far beyond the district and expand the range of consumers of its products.
Advice from the founder
Vasyl Karatsiuba: “Based on my personal experience in organic production, I understand its cost, responsibility in its organisation and daily work with the restrictions and requirements for such production, but the desire to produce healthy food outweighs all my problems and concerns. I have always believed and still believe that the development of organic production in various areas is the main task for food producers. Quality food is the key to our health. And supporting such projects is a matter of utmost importance today. It is also important to exchange experience both with Ukrainian colleagues and to learn from the experience of international partners.”
* Grant Program in the Organic Sector is funded by Switzerland and implemented within the framework of
- the project “Women Entrepreneurship in the Organic Sector” (WEOS) implemented by ICO “Information Center “Green Dossier” in partnership with Organic Initiative Public Association, and
- the Swiss-Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP) implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland).