According to experts.news, as of June 1, 2026, there were 1,786,900 head of cattle in Ukraine, including 941,200 cows, the Milk Producers Association reported on June 26, citing preliminary data from the State Statistics Service.
Compared to June 1, 2025, the cattle herd decreased by 383,000 head, or 18%, while the number of cows decreased by 208,000, also by 18%. Over the month, the total cattle herd increased slightly—by 2,100 head—while the number of cows decreased by 3,300.
About 53% of the herd is held by agricultural enterprises, with the remaining 47% held by private households.
In the industrial sector, there were 951,200 head of cattle as of early June, including 391,900 cows. Over the year, enterprises increased their cattle herd by 4% and their number of cows by 3%.
At the same time, private households held 835,700 head of cattle, of which 549,300 were cows. Over the past year, the private sector lost 33% of its cattle herd and 28% of its cows. It is precisely this reduction in livestock holdings by private households that remains the main cause of the overall decline in the country’s figures.
An increase in the number of cows at agricultural enterprises was recorded in 11 regions. The largest increases in herd size were observed in Rivne Oblast (29%), Lviv Oblast (22%), Kharkiv Oblast (13%), Ternopil Oblast (11%), and Khmelnytskyi Oblast (9%). In Kyiv Oblast, the number of cows in the commercial sector increased by 3%.
The largest cattle herds across all farm categories were held in Poltava Oblast—168,000 head, Vinnytsia Oblast—160,000, Khmelnytskyi—143,400, Odesa—131,600, Chernihiv—126,100, Cherkasy—125,400, and Kyiv—105,700 head. These seven regions accounted for approximately 54% of the country’s total cattle population.
The Milk Producers Association attributes the decline in the herd size to low milk purchase prices, rising costs of feed, fuel, and fertilizers, insufficient farm modernization, and the consequences of hostilities. Farms in frontline regions are also forced to transport their livestock to central and western regions.
According to the association’s estimates, approximately 850 of Ukraine’s 1,375 thousand dairy farms require renovation to meet European standards for animal husbandry. The estimated investment need is approximately EUR219 million.
At the beginning of 1991, Ukraine had 24,623,400 head of cattle, including 8,378,200 cows. By early 2001, the cattle herd had declined to 9,424,000 head, and the number of cows to approximately 4,958,000.
In 2013, Ukraine had 4.646 million head of cattle and 2.554 million cows. As of early 2021, these figures stood at 2.874 million and 1.673 million head, respectively.
As of January 1, 2025, the cattle herd was estimated at 2.002 million head, including 1.155 million cows. By the beginning of 2026, these figures had fallen to 1.804 million head of cattle and 1.022 million cows.
Thus, from the beginning of 1991 to the beginning of 2026, the total cattle herd in Ukraine decreased by approximately 92.7%, or 13.6 times. The number of cows decreased by 87.8%, or 8.2 times.
By June 1, 2026, the number of cows fell below 1 million heads for the first time—to 941,200. Compared to 1991, this represents a decline of nearly 89%, or 8.9 times.
When comparing long-term indicators, changes in statistical coverage should be taken into account. Data for 2015–2021 do not include the temporarily occupied Crimea, Sevastopol, and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, while figures from 2022 also exclude other occupied territories and parts of combat zones.
Despite the sharp overall decline in livestock numbers, industrial dairy farms in relatively safe regions are partially increasing their herds of productive cows. However, this is not yet sufficient to compensate for the mass exodus of smallholder farms from livestock production.
https://www.experts.news/posts/poholivya-vrkh-v-ukrayini-za-rik-skorotylosya-na-18
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
The Ukrainian company Dairy Global Experts plans to raise $150 million for the construction in the Cherkasy region of a high-tech complex for the slaughter and primary processing of cattle, with a total estimated cost of $160 million, according to the Ukraine Investment Guide 2026, presented at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2026) in Gdańsk.
According to the document, the facility will have a capacity of up to 1,000 head of cattle per shift, or about 350 metric tons of cattle carcasses and up to 250 metric tons of finished products per day.
The plant plans to produce chilled and frozen carcasses and cuts, ground meat, burgers, sausage products, as well as by-products, including gelatin, collagen, and feed additives.
The main export markets are the European Union, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as well as China and Southeast Asia.
The project is designed to comply with EU food safety requirements, animal welfare standards, and the HACCP system, as well as to allow for certification under Halal and Kosher standards.
According to the catalog, a pre-project feasibility study has already been prepared, and work is underway on the feasibility study and design and cost estimate documentation. The estimated project implementation period is four years. The payback period, based on a projected IRR of 22%, is seven years.
The enterprise’s suppliers will be farms that are members of the Milk Producers Association, which unites more than 150 farms.
Dairy Global Experts is a Ukrainian international consulting and agricultural company founded in 2024 that specializes in the development of dairy cattle farming, increasing livestock productivity, and agricultural technologies. The company also exports live cattle and meat and implements projects in collaboration with international organizations and private partners.
According to information on its website, the company provides technical support to 360 farms. In total, it has implemented 78 projects involving the reconstruction and construction of livestock complexes and has implemented 60 projects to automate production processes on commercial dairy farms. Its revenue last year grew by 90.2% to $9.1 million.
CATTLE, Cherkasy Oblast, Dairy Global Experts, INVESTMENT, meat processing
According to data from the State Customs Service, Ukraine exported 2,790 metric tons of live cattle in March 2026, which is 58% more than in February of this year and 12% higher than in March 2025, reported the Association of Milk Producers (AMP), citing data from the State Customs Service.
The industry association noted that revenue from livestock exports in March amounted to $5.26 million, which is 16% more than in February. In total, 5,530 tons of cattle worth $11.61 million were shipped to foreign markets in the first quarter of 2026. These figures are 6.1% and 10% higher, respectively, than the results for the same period last year.
A similar trend is observed in the meat segment. In particular, exports of fresh or chilled beef in March rose by 102% compared to the previous month, reaching 467.2 tons worth $3.69 million. Shipments of frozen beef increased by 31% to 1,670 tons, valued at $7.37 million.
“Ukraine has increased cattle exports amid high prices in export markets and a certain shortage of red meat globally. Low domestic purchase prices for raw milk served as an additional incentive for farmers, driving growth in sales of cattle for slaughter and export,” the UBA’s analytical department notes.
According to the association, the global beef shortage is being driven by high demand in the U.S. due to limited domestic supply ahead of the barbecue season. A similar situation exists in Brazil, where livestock prices have reached historic highs amid active exports to China. Australia is also reporting ten-year highs in production, attempting to compensate for the supply shortage in the Korean and Japanese markets.
At the same time, the negative price situation in Ukraine’s dairy market has led to a complete halt in the import of heifers: in March 2026, not a single head of breeding cattle was imported into the country.
Ukraine’s positive foreign trade balance in live cattle and beef trade amounted to $15.21 million as of the end of March.
In January 2026, Ukraine reduced exports of beef and cattle amid a seasonal lull, rising logistics costs, and declining demand, according to the Milk Producers Association (MPA), citing data from the State Customs Service.
The industry association noted that live cattle exports in January amounted to about 958 tons, which is 36% less than in December 2025 and 33% less than in January 2025. Foreign exchange earnings in this segment fell to $1.82 million, which is 46% less than in December 2025.
Exports of fresh or chilled beef in January this year decreased by 32% compared to December, to 292 tons, but significantly exceeded the volume of January last year, when it amounted to 21 tons. Revenue for this product in the reporting period amounted to $2.22 million.
The actual volume of frozen beef exports amounted to 966 tons, which is 34% less than in December and 31% less than in January 2025. The monetary proceeds amounted to almost $4.62 million.
“The decline in exports in January is likely due to increased shelling of port infrastructure, which led to higher logistics costs due to risk insurance and route changes. In addition, the market saw a traditional decline in demand at the beginning of the year after active purchases at the end of 2025,” said Georgiy Kukhiashvili, an analyst at the association, whose words are quoted in the report.
According to the UMA, beef imports also declined. In particular, purchases of chilled meat fell to 6 tons (-54% compared to the previous month), and frozen meat to 81 tons (-18%).
The foreign trade balance in January 2026 remained positive and amounted to $7.82 million, the UAA concluded.
Agricultural LLC (STOV) “Ratnivsky Agrarian” (Ratne, Volyn region) intends to obtain a permit for pollutant emissions for a reconstructed livestock complex in the village of Yakushiv (Kovel district), according to the website of the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture.
According to the official announcement, the project provides for the loose housing of cattle on deep litter in four cowsheds. Each of them is designed for 1,000 head, which will provide a total capacity of 4,000 head at a time.
It is expected that the complex will house 1,525 cows, 1,670 calves of various age groups, and 805 other cattle and bulls. During the warm season, the animals will be kept on pastures. The total time spent in the cowsheds will be no more than five months per year. Heat will be supplied to the cowsheds by a wood-fired boiler (200 kW). In addition, to ensure a reliable power supply, the complex is equipped with four diesel generators, each with a capacity of 50 kW.
The project has already undergone an environmental impact assessment (EIA), following which the Volyn Regional State Administration’s Department of Ecology and Natural Resources issued a positive conclusion at the end of December 2025. Since the capacity of the complex exceeds the threshold of 1,000 places for cattle, the facility falls under the second category of activities that may have a significant impact on the environment.
At the same time, calculations confirmed that there were no exceedances of the maximum permissible concentrations of pollutants, so no measures to forcibly reduce emissions are planned.
Ratnivsky Agrarian LLC was registered in 2011. It specializes in cattle breeding and fattening of breeding breeds using modern technologies.
According to data from the Opendatabot service, at the end of 2024, the company received income of UAH 259.1 million, net profit of UAH 17.53 million, has debt obligations of UAH 126.16 million, and assets are estimated at UAH 1.04 billion. According to the results of the first three quarters of 2025, its activities are characterized by further growth in assets: UAH 204.98 million in revenue, UAH 40.56 million in net profit, UAH 222.95 million in debt obligations, and assets increased to UAH 1.27 billion.
The authorized capital of STOV “Ratnivsky Agrarian” is UAH 48.144 million, and the ultimate beneficiary is Vita Shevchuk.
According to the Law “On Air Protection,” facilities are divided into three groups: the first includes enterprises that are required to implement the best available technologies (permission is issued by the Ministry of Economy); the second includes facilities on state registration, regulated at the OVA level; the third group includes entities with minimal impact. The EIA procedure is mandatory for livestock complexes with more than 1,000 head of cattle.
