Ukrainian public agricultural organizations have called on the government of Ukraine to restore the 13 per cent extra import duty on meat to protect the domestic market, reports Kyiv Post.

The article was quoting the board chairman of the Union of Poultry Farmers of Ukraine, Oleksandr Bakumenko, speaking at a press conference in Kyiv (Kiev).

"The 13 per cent mark-up for six months is normal, honest, fair and within [the rules of] the WTO," he said.

According to Mr Bakumenko, imports of low quality meat to the country unbalance the situation in the domestic animal production sector.

Mr Bakumenko also proposed minimum sanitary requirements on the quality of meat be urgently introduced to protect the domestic market.

He also proposed that the government assess the activities of the Economy Ministry, which, he said, issued licenses for the import of 3.975 million tonnes of meat. This amount equals two years' demand of the country for the product, according to Kyiv Post.