In January-October 2023, raw milk production by farms of all categories decreased by 6% to 6277.4 thousand tons compared to the same period last year, while industrial enterprises increased production and households reduced it, according to the Association of Milk Producers (AMP) based on the analysis of data from the State Statistics Service.
According to the report, in October 2023, milk yields in Ukraine amounted to 610.50 thousand tons, which is 3% less than in September this year and 6% less than in October 2022. At the same time, since the beginning of 2023, the share of enterprises in the production of raw milk has amounted to 37%, and households – 63%.
According to the AMP, in January-October 2023, enterprises increased milk production by 7% to 2341.4 thousand tons. In October this year, industrial milk producers increased their production to 228.9 thousand tons, which is 2% more than in September and 7% more than in October last year.
At the same time, households reduced milk production by 14% to 3936 thousand tons in 10 months of 2023 compared to the same period last year. In October 2023, the volume of milk yields in the population amounted to 381.6 thousand tons, which is 7% less than in September and 13% less than in October 2022.
According to Giorgi Kukhaleishvili, AMP analyst, the overall decline in raw milk production in Ukraine is mainly due to a drop in milk yields in households that have suffered the most from the consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“Despite these challenges, agricultural enterprises have managed to adapt to wartime conditions and increase raw milk production in the territories controlled by Ukraine. It should be noted that it is mainly extra-virgin milk produced by the enterprises that is processed. Ukraine is gradually switching to food processing of milk exclusively to this type of raw material,” the expert stated.
In January-October 2023, an increase in raw milk production was observed in farms of all categories in Kyiv (+4.3%), Cherkasy (+3%), Khmelnytsky (+2.1%), Chernihiv (+2%), Rivne (+0.7%), Poltava (+1.3%), and Kharkiv (+3.1%) regions.
