According to Experts.news, the United Kingdom could come close to the entire European Union market in terms of Ukrainian chicken meat purchases by 2027, while the importance of Middle Eastern countries for Ukrainian exporters will decline, according to a forecast by the Kyiv office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA FAS).
In the “Poultry and Products Annual” report, published on August 19, 2026, the United Kingdom is identified as one of the key drivers of growth in Ukrainian chicken meat production and exports in 2026–2027.
On January 16, 2026, Ukraine and the United Kingdom agreed to extend the duty-free trade regime for chicken meat and a number of other agricultural products until March 31, 2028. The United Kingdom will not impose a tariff quota on Ukrainian chicken until that date.
According to USDA estimates, this effectively provides Ukrainian producers with nearly two additional years of unrestricted access to one of the world’s most price-competitive markets. In some months, retail prices for Ukrainian chicken in the United Kingdom have even been higher than in the EU.
As a result, FAS/Kyiv expects a further sharp increase in shipments to the United Kingdom. By 2027, their volume could become comparable to Ukraine’s total chicken exports to the EU.
At the same time, the European Union remains the industry’s largest premium market; however, shipments are limited by a new permanent duty-free quota of 120,000 metric tons per year.
The new quota was agreed upon by Ukraine and the EU in October 2025. It replaced the pre-war permanent quota of 90,000 metric tons and the temporary regime of autonomous trade measures, which allowed for significantly larger volumes to be exported. The USDA expects that in 2026–2027, actual exports to the EU will remain at the established limit of 120,000 metric tons.
The expansion of shipments to the UK and the EU is already changing the geography of Ukrainian exports.
The shift is particularly noticeable in the Middle East. The USDA reports that in 2026, Ukrainian chicken exports to Saudi Arabia—which had previously been Ukraine’s largest single export market for this product—ceased entirely.
This occurred despite MHP’s long-standing relationship with Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC), which owns 13% of MHP. At the same time, the USDA anticipates that Ukrainian products may return to the Saudi market in the coming years.
Exports to Iraq, on the other hand, continue. The USDA specifically notes that Ukraine was not included in Iraq’s ban on chicken imports from 39 major supplier countries due to risks associated with highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Ukrainian producers also maintain a presence in the markets of Africa and the former Soviet Union countries; however, the most profitable European markets are gradually drawing a portion of the production toward them.
Exports via Turkey are primarily of a transit nature: according to USDA industry sources, most of the Ukrainian poultry arriving there is subsequently re-exported to Asia or Africa. At the same time, the free trade agreement between Ukraine and Turkey, which will take effect in 2026, provides for a separate duty-free quota of 2,000 metric tons for raw and processed poultry products.
Overall, according to the latest estimate by FAS/Kyiv, chicken meat exports from Ukraine will increase from about 450,000 metric tons in 2025 to 490,000 metric tons in 2026 and 530,000 metric tons in 2027.
Thus, one of the key changes over the next two years will be the further reorientation of the Ukrainian poultry industry toward the United Kingdom and the EU, at the expense of some of its traditional markets in the Middle East and Asia.
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Ukraine: Poultry and Products Annual, UP2026-0022, August 19, 2026.
The weighted average price of slaughter pigs rose by 2.9% over the week and settled at UAH 73.25/kg, according to the Ukrainian Pig Farmers Association (ASU).
The industry association noted that most purchase prices this week fluctuated between 73 and 74 UAH/kg. At the same time, the regional discrepancy in average indicators is currently minimal and does not exceed 1 UAH/kg.
According to market operators’ forecasts, a further increase in price to 75 UAH/kg is expected at the next auction.
“Signs of further positive dynamics include a further increase in chicken prices, as well as a gradual recovery in pork prices in EU countries. In addition, Easter coming earlier this year and improved weather conditions should contribute to a revival of market activity in the near future,” analysts explained.
At the same time, according to ASU, meat processing companies report sluggish trade and high competition for buyers, forcing some producers to lower prices to stimulate sales.
Poultry meat exports from Ukraine in January 2026 amounted to 38.1 thousand tons, which is 6.1% more than in December 2025, according to the Ukrainian Poultry Farmers Union.
The industry association specified that in monetary terms, exports for the specified period decreased by 2.1% to $85.4 million.
“The growth in physical export volumes against the backdrop of a decrease in total revenue is a consequence of a decline in the export value of products due to a fall in world prices for poultry meat,” the Poultry Farmers Union noted.
The main buyers of Ukrainian products in January were the Netherlands (21.9%), the United Kingdom (11.8%), the UAE (9%), and Slovakia (8.2%). The share of EU countries in total exports was 37.3% (13.8 thousand tons). At the same time, in monetary terms, the European market provided almost half of the foreign exchange earnings – 48.7%.
As reported, in 2025, Ukraine reduced the physical volume of poultry meat exports by 1.8% compared to 2024, to 458.1 thousand tons, but foreign exchange earnings from its sale increased by 13.7%, reaching $1.15 billion. The main markets were the EU countries (in particular, the Netherlands and Slovakia), Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.
Chicken producer Kuriar attracted UAH 1 billion in loan financing from First Ukrainian International Bank (FUIB, Kyiv) to transform its business from a chicken producer to a system integrator in the industry, according to the Ukrainian Retailers Association.
According to the report, the funds raised will be used to modernize logistics, automate processes, develop deep processing of products, and introduce new quality standards for entry into national retail chains and EU markets.
“We are investing in standards that will allow us to become certified and enter the European market. This is a logical step for a company that plans to be a leader,” said company founder Andriy Kindifora.
According to the association, the company’s development strategy involves a transition to a growth model through cooperation with small and medium-sized producers. According to Kuriar CEO Ivan Semen, investments are directed not only at the company’s own brand, but also at creating a system that allows the industry to grow predictably, despite the difficult demographic situation and the shift of production capacities to the western regions of the country due to the war.
Cooperation with FUIB began with a factoring limit and grew into a strategic partnership. As noted by Igor Koptsyukh, the bank’s head of sales to medium-sized corporate clients, for the financial institution, this agreement is an investment in a business model with high scaling potential.
“For us, FUIB is not just a lender, but a partner that supports the company in the entire spectrum of financial decisions,” Kuriar emphasized.
K-Agroinvest Trade LLC (Kuriya brand) was founded in 2014 in the Zolochiv district of the Lviv region on the basis of facilities that have been developing since 2005. The vertically integrated full-cycle chicken producer has four poultry farms, a feed mill, a slaughterhouse, and a logistics center. It specializes in importing chickens and selling over 100 types of meat products. The beneficiary of the enterprise is Andriy Kindifora.
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, as of September 1, 2025, FUIB, with assets of UAH 193.14 billion, ranked 5th among 60 banks in the country. The ultimate beneficiary of the bank is Rinat Akhmetov.
INGO Insurance Company has paid UAH 3.4 million for a spoiled batch of frozen chicken products that was transported from Europe to Ukraine, the company’s website reports.
It is noted that the payment was made under a motor carrier liability insurance contract. The policy provided coverage for the risks of loss or damage to cargo.
The accident occurred during the transportation of 20 tons of frozen chicken products from Europe to Ukraine. The cargo was transported in a refrigerator at a temperature of -18°C. In Poland, the vehicle slid into a ditch and overturned. According to the police, the driver did not take into account the road conditions when making a turn.
The accident resulted in the breakdown of the refrigerator, which caused a temperature violation and damage to the cargo packaging. The carrier organized the loading of the products into another vehicle, but the warm weather caused them to defrost.
The insurance contract was concluded with the participation of Aon, one of the leading international insurance brokers. Aon helped to structure the optimal insurance solution, taking into account the specifics of international transportation and cargo safety requirements, the press release said.
INGO Insurance Company has been providing insurance services for 30 years. Since 2017, the main shareholder has been the Ukrainian business group DCH.
Two Ukrainian producers of chicken and eggs, MHP and Avangard, topped the list of European producers of chicken and eggs and took 15th place in the global ranking, according to the WattPoultry magazine, which researches the global market for the production, processing and sale of poultry products.
According to the ranking, MHP agricultural holding topped the list of broiler producers in the European Union and took 15th place in the world ranking with a production of 704 thousand tons of chicken meat per year.
Ukrainian agricultural holding Avangard was ranked first among egg producers in the European Union and 15th among world leaders with a production of 13.3 million eggs.
“Demand for chicken meat continues to grow and consumption is expected to increase by 16% between 2024 and 2033, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization, which is obviously good news for global poultry producers. Nothing is guaranteed, but as demand remains high, companies in our industry at least have plenty of opportunities to capitalize on them,” the publication emphasized.
The compilers of the rating reminded that broiler and egg producers, wherever they are in the world, are forced to deal with disease outbreaks and increasingly stringent regulations. However, they can at least be sure that demand for their products will continue.
MHP is the largest chicken producer in Ukraine. It produces grain, sunflower oil, and processed meat products.
In 2023, the company earned $142 million in net profit compared to a net loss of $231 million a year earlier. Last year, the group’s revenue increased by 14% to $3.021 billion.
As reported, in March 2022, Avangard announced losses of UAH 1.5 billion since the beginning of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. Russian aggression has led to the shutdown of a number of the group’s key poultry farms, and chickens at the Chornobaivska poultry farm (Bilozerka, Kherson region) were left without food and died.
“Ukrlandfarming is one of the largest agricultural holdings in Eurasia. It is engaged in growing grain, raising cattle, and distributing machinery, fertilizers, and seeds. “Avangard, a part of it, is Ukraine’s largest producer of eggs and egg products.
