Animal husbandry for many private households of Sumy Oblast — is not only a way to provide the family with milk, meat or eggs, but also an additional source of income. The projects implemented by our team in cooperation with the Norwegian Refugee Council also provide support to livestock households.
In the conditions of the war, this industry became even more vulnerable, because the maintenance of livestock is affected by several serious challenges at once. These problems are especially acute in the Shostky district, where due to military actions and constant threats to security, there is a gradual reduction in animal husbandry. Some households are forced to reduce the number of livestock due to a lack of fodder, the low cost of purchasing milk from households by enterprises, the low purchasing power of the local population, power outages and limited access to veterinary services. This not only reduces the level of food security of families, but also deprives them of an important source of income.
Today, the main problems for livestock households are:
difficulties with the purchase of fodder due to destroyed logistics routes and limited access to fields,
the threat of shelling and the unstable situation with the electricity supply,
difficulties with logistics,
limited access to veterinary services due to movement risks and shortage of specialists.
What owners can do to save livestock during war:
To unite for the purchase of fodder. Joint orders with neighbors will help reduce costs (you can get a bigger discount on feed due to the purchase of a larger volume, reduce delivery costs) and avoid feed interruptions.
Find feed suppliers in your region, which will facilitate logistics.
Negotiate mobile departures. It is worth knowing in advance the contacts of veterinarians who can come to the village to treat or vaccinate animals.
Set up shelter for livestock. Even simple reinforced rooms reduce the risk of animal death during shelling.
Attract aid from humanitarian and state programs. It is worth turning to local authorities for support, participating in the programs of international and national non-governmental organizations that can provide the necessary assistance.
The project is implemented by the NGO "Association for Democratic Development" (ADD) together with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Ukraine with the support of Norway and Germany.