As of July 1, 2026, the cattle herd on agricultural enterprises in Ukraine had increased by 4% compared to the same date last year—to 955,200 head, while on private farms it decreased by 35%—to 811,800 head, according to the Association of Milk Producers (AMP), citing preliminary data from the State Statistics Service (SSS).
According to State Statistics Service data, as of July 1, 2026, there were 1.767 million head of cattle in Ukraine, including 941,200 cows.
About 54% of the cattle herd was kept on agricultural enterprises, and another 46% on private farms.
Agricultural enterprises had 396,600 cows, which is 4% more than a year ago, while the number of cows on private farms decreased by 29% to 544,600 head.
“The cow herd is shrinking mainly in the backyard farming sector but remains relatively stable in the commercial sector. The decline in the cattle herd is a long-standing problem in Ukraine due to the lack of an effective government program to support dairy farming. Since 2014, the cow herd in the commercial and backyard farming sectors has nearly halved, and the situation has been further exacerbated by Russia’s full-scale invasion and unfavorable market conditions,” the AVM emphasized.
The association noted that the recovery of the herd is being negatively impacted by low milk purchase prices, rising production costs, the relocation of farms from frontline regions, and adaptation to EU environmental and phytosanitary requirements.
According to the AVM’s assessment, without the modernization of dairy processing plants and an increase in purchase prices, there is a risk of a further reduction in the herd size, as farmers are increasingly selling their livestock amid high global beef prices.
According to the State Statistics Service, the largest herds of dairy cows in the commercial sector are concentrated in Poltava Oblast—52,800 head, Cherkasy Oblast—46,000 head, Chernihiv Oblast—38,800 head, Kyiv Oblast—35,600 head, and Vinnytsia Oblast—33,000 head. In total, these five regions account for about 52% of Ukraine’s commercial cow herd.
CATTLE, Cow, FARM, livestock farming, State Statistics Service
