Plans are underway to build a new poultry complex in a village in Volyn that borders Belarus: details
26 June 18:14
In the village of Kortelisy, part of the Ratne community in Volyn, near the border with Belarus, there are plans to build a new livestock complex covering an area of 9.3 hectares. The project involves the construction of a poultry farm capable of housing up to 600,000 birds, primarily for egg production. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Suspilne.
On June 1, an announcement appeared on the Ratne Village Council’s website regarding the start of a public discussion of the environmental impact assessment report. On June 19, a public hearing was held in the village of Kortelisy with the participation of representatives of the investor, the head of the settlement council, the village head, and local residents, who expressed dissatisfaction with the possible construction of the poultry complex.
What is known about the construction of the poultry farm
In July 2025, the Volyn-based agricultural enterprise “Kort Agro Plus” announced that it plans to carry out the proposed activities and assess their environmental impact” in connection with plans to build a poultry farm west of the village of Kortelisy.
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According to data from the Youcontrol website , “Kort Agro Plus” LLC is registered in the village of Kortelisy. Its director is Serhiy Kozak. The company’s main activity is the cultivation of grains, legumes, and oilseeds. Last November, “Kort Agro Plus” leased an agricultural land plot in the Ratnivska settlement council.
According to the environmental impact assessment report titled “New Construction of a Poultry Farm in the Village of Kortelisy, Kovel District, Volyn Oblast,” plans call for the construction of six single-story poultry houses, each designed to simultaneously house 100,000 laying hens, as well as a flock of working birds for egg production.
Plans for the site include an administrative building, a veterinary and sanitary checkpoint, a sanitation facility, an egg storage building, a production laboratory, a grain silo, a feed mill, a utility building, boiler rooms for each poultry house, a transformer substation, a water intake well with a water tower, a septic tank area for temporary storage of litter manure, and a parking lot. Three work shifts are planned for 20 employees.
Construction of a poultry farm in Kortelisy: What are local residents opposed to?
According to Oksana Dordyuk, a representative of the initiative group and chair of the meeting, the gathering of residents, representatives of the farm, and the village council took place at the initiative of residents of the village of Kortelisy, as well as the villages of Mlynove, Domanove, and Vysochne.
According to her, approximately 150 people gathered in total, of whom 139 villagers voted against the construction of the poultry farm, 2–3 people voted “in favor,” and the rest abstained.
“On June 16, we gathered with the villagers when we heard about the planned construction of a poultry farm in the village, but none of the officials were present at this meeting. We elected a secretary and a chairperson for the meeting, drafted the minutes, and prepared a collective petition, which we submitted to the village head. We also collected signatures opposing the construction,” says the Volyn resident.
Oksana Dordyuk said that people’s biggest concerns are the odor—since the construction is planned within a sanitary zone—and the discharge of waste and sewage.
“In our village, it’s 930 meters to the nearest house; in the neighboring village of Mlynove, it’s 650 meters to the nearest house. We have a cemetery that’s more than 300 meters away. There is a high-pressure gas pipeline, and construction is prohibited within 150–300 meters of it. There is an open body of water—about 500 meters away—which is also part of the protective zone, where children swim regularly in the summer,” she says.
According to Oksana Dordyuk, the local residents’ position is to reject the construction of the poultry farm on the leased plot of land and to identify a new site that will be located farther away from the villages.
“We just want to be heard. The main thing is that this is a sanitary protection zone. And our groundwater is very close to the surface. People are asking, ‘Go ahead and build, but move it all farther away from the village.’ We’re pushing for them to drop this idea altogether, so they don’t build this poultry farm at all. But since things have already gone this far, and our village head is really pushing for jobs…” — added the woman from Volyn.
The Volyn-based company’s position on the investment project
Journalists spoke by phone with Serhiy Kozak, the head of the company “Kort Agro Plus,” about the construction project and the concerns of local residents. He explained that the documents required to begin work are not yet available: this stage is still ongoing. According to him, “Kort Agro Plus” plans to implement the poultry complex project in partnership with European investors, with whom an agreement was reached even before the full-scale invasion began.
The farm manager explained that the plot of land where construction is planned is located in the middle of a forest, between two villages. He noted that a similar project has been implemented in the village of Sadove in the Kyiv region and is located near a residential area.
“With new technologies, emissions are significantly reduced. Everyone in the village keeps chickens, pigs, and cows, and they dump manure near their homes, where there’s a well just 5–10 meters away. But here, between the two villages, there is a forest strip—the distance ranges from 750 meters to one and a half kilometers—and that is the site where construction is planned,” says Serhiy Kozak.
The location in Kortelisy where construction is planned. Screenshot from the environmental impact assessment report “New Poultry Farm Construction in the Village of Kortelisy”
As for jobs, the plan is to hire 20–30 employees. According to Serhiy Kozak, people in the villages are already asking about work, particularly military personnel who, for various reasons, cannot continue their service and want to transition to civilian life. He also added that the poultry farm construction project is aimed at developing the village and the community as a whole.
“I grew up there (in Kortelisy—ed.) , went to school there, and after school I moved away to study. 90% of the people in the village know me. My parents live there, as do my friends. Not everyone is against the construction. There are people who are in favor of it and who support it! Some will stay to work, and some will change their minds about moving abroad because they’ll know there are jobs in the village,” said the company’s director.
What the Ratniv Town Council Is Saying About the Situation
Media representatives turned to Ratne Settlement Council Chairman Vitaliy Biruk for comment on the poultry farm construction project in Kortelisy. The official stated that “Kort Agro Plus” had approached them with a proposal to build a poultry farm in the Kortelisy village council district. According to him, there is no line of potential investors in these villages due to the security situation.
“Today, we are reviewing the investment proposals that have been submitted to us. I would like to note that urban planning documentation is currently being developed, meaning it has not yet been approved. The process of drafting and approving the documents is underway, and an environmental impact assessment is being prepared. This falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy,” the official said.
According to Vitaliy Biruk, the village council is awaiting the Ministry of Economy’s environmental impact assessment report to determine whether the poultry farm construction project complies with environmental and sanitary standards. Once this conclusion is received, the matter will be considered at a session of the village council.
“This is about taxes and revenue, especially in a border area. If we don’t develop this area, we may face another problem in a few years. I’ve already told the residents of the village of Kortelisy that 10 children will be entering first grade this year, two of whom are from the neighboring village of Vysokhne. We understand the demographic situation that has developed. People won’t return to the village if they don’t have jobs,” says Vitaliy Biruk.
Currently, the process of reviewing and approving documents submitted by the farming enterprise regarding the construction of a poultry farm in the village of Kortelisy in Volyn is underway.
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