Milk production in Ukraine: new trends and challenges in 2024

Milk production in Ukraine in 2024 faced numerous challenges due to abnormal weather conditions and the consequences of Russian missile strikes on energy infrastructure. The impact of heat and long-term power outages significantly affected the productivity of cows, especially in households. However, despite the difficulties, the industrial sector of dairy production shows positive dynamics.

According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, in August 2024, 712 thousand tons of raw milk were produced in Ukraine, which is 4% more than in July of the current year. At the same time, this indicator is still 2% lower compared to the same period last year. For the period from January to August, the total volume of milk production amounted to 4 million 937.4 thousand tons, which is 3% less than in 2023.

Enterprises engaged in dairy production showed a growth of 4% in August compared to July, reaching an indicator of 250.3 thousand tons. Compared to August 2023, this growth was 6%. In general, in January-August 2024, dairy farms produced 1 million 990.5 thousand tons of raw milk, which is 5% more than last year.

Households, which are traditionally an important supplier of raw milk on the market, on the contrary, have reduced their production volumes. In August, they provided 461.7 thousand tons of milk, which is 5% more than in July, but 7% less than in August 2023. In the first eight months of the current year, households produced 2 million 946.9 thousand tons of raw milk, which is 8% less compared to last year's figures.

Expert Giorgii Kukhaleishvili explains this decrease in production due to the strong impact of abnormal heat and interruptions in the supply of electricity due to Russian missile strikes. According to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, in August the maximum air temperature reached +35-38°C, which complicated the conditions for keeping livestock. Prolonged power outages led to interruptions in the operation of ventilation systems, which negatively affected the health of cows and, accordingly, their productivity.

The situation in households was even more critical. The shortage of raw materials contributed to the growth of demand from milk processing enterprises, which sought to increase the export of their products, taking advantage of the increase in milk prices on international markets due to the decline in production in the EU and the USA.

Despite all the difficulties, Ukrainian dairy farms continue to increase production volumes. The greatest growth in January-August 2024 was observed in such regions as Mykolayivska (+14%), Ternopilska (+12%), Rivne (+10%) and Khmelnytska (+9%). In total, about 51% of all raw milk in Ukraine was produced in seven regions: Khmelnytskyi, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Ternopil, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr and Chernihiv.