In 2024, Ukraine exported 118,000 tons of dairy products, which is almost twice as much as imports, which reached 60,000 tons, according to the infographic “Dairy Map of Ukraine” for 2024, prepared by the Association of Milk Producers (AMP).
“Despite military losses, targeted shelling and destruction, a forced new wave of closures and relocations of farms from war-torn regions, exhausting blackouts and record heat in June-September 2024, which caused more than 50% of industrial farms to experience a significant drop in milk yields, the Ukrainian dairy industry has demonstrated significant achievements,” the industry association said.
As of January 1, 2025, the number of cows in the industrial sector increased by 1% compared to the previous period. The top five regions in terms of industrial livestock numbers, which together account for 51% of the total industrial cow population in Ukraine, are Poltava (52,700 head), Cherkasy (44,000 head), Chernihiv (35,400 head), Kyiv (34,000 head), and Vinnytsia (31,500 head).
At the same time, the largest increase in the industrial cow population last year was recorded in Mykolaiv (+14%), Ternopil (+10%), Khmelnytskyi (+5%), Cherkasy (+4%), and Kyiv (+3%) regions.
At the same time, there were losses, primarily in the frontline regions, in particular in Zaporizhzhia (-88%), Kharkiv (-47%), Sumy and Chernivtsi (-22%), as well as in Chernihiv (-11%).
According to the AVM, last year more than 90% of raw milk sent for processing was obtained from industrial farms. The leading regions in terms of production were Poltava (445.2 thousand tons), Cherkasy (371.5 thousand tons), Chernihiv (268.3 thousand tons), Kyiv (266.5 thousand tons), and Vinnytsia (260.2 thousand tons).
The largest increase in raw milk production over the year was recorded in the Mykolaiv (+18%), Ternopil (+13%), Khmelnytskyi (+9%), and Zhytomyr and Poltava (+8%) regions. In contrast, a significant decline in production was recorded in the Zaporizhzhia (-87%), Kharkiv (-45%), and Sumy (-6%) regions.
Despite blackouts and abnormal heat in June-September 2024, which led to a 25% reduction in milk yields in more than half of farms, industrial dairy farms (MTF) showed record productivity growth last year. In particular, the average milk yield in the industrial sector reached 8,167 kg/cow per year, which is almost 20% higher than in pre-war 2021.
Analysts noted five regions with the highest productivity of industrial cows in 2024, including: Ternopil (9,905 kg/cow per year), Mykolaiv (9,189 kg/cow per year), Khmelnytskyi (8,817 kg/cow per year), Poltava (8,447 kg/cow per year), and Cherkasy (8,443 kg/cow per year).
In addition, milk quality indicators have improved, with 55% of milk delivered for processing being extra grade and 25.3% being premium grade.
As for the average consumption of dairy products in Ukraine, analysts noted a 4% increase in 2024 to 209.3 kg/person compared to previous and pre-war years. Thus, despite the full-scale invasion, emigration, and reduced purchasing power, Ukrainians maintain stable demand for dairy products.
At the same time, exports of dairy products last year amounted to 118,020 tons, with cash proceeds of $296.81 million (+16% compared to 2023 and +20% compared to 2021).
The top five export categories included dry and condensed milk (25%), cheese (18%), butter (16%), casein (14%), and ice cream (14%).
Last year, 60.27 thousand tons of dairy products worth $290.34 million were delivered to Ukraine, with cheese accounting for 78% of imports. In monetary terms, the value of deliveries increased by 10% by 2023 but decreased by 24% by 2021.
Ukraine maintained a positive foreign trade balance in dairy products last year, exporting almost twice as much as it imported (118 thousand tons against 60 thousand tons), with almost the same value ($296.81 million in exports against $290.34 million in imports).
“This indicates the high added value of imported goods (mainly cheese) and a larger volume of exports (e.g., milk powder, butter, casein),” analysts concluded.
Albania is considering importing beef, lamb, and processed products from Ukraine, and also wants to increase exports of root vegetables to the Ukrainian market, according to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food following a meeting between its head, Vitaliy Koval, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to Ukraine, Ernal Fil.
The minister noted that in 2025, Ukraine shifted its state policy towards livestock farming and began to increase the production of cattle, red meat, and processed products, which attracted the interest of Albania, where demand for meat products has grown due to an increase in tourism.
“Albania is interested in importing meat (beef and lamb) and processed products from Ukraine. At the same time, they want to increase the supply of root vegetables to the Ukrainian market, especially in February-May, when we have less of our own. To do this, certain trade procedures between the countries need to be simplified,” Koval said.
The parties agreed at the ministerial level to discuss steps to strengthen cooperation in the agricultural sector at the embassies.
The head of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy emphasized that, in addition to cooperation in the agricultural sector, Ukraine and Albania have many points of contact. In particular, the agricultural sector accounts for a significant share of GDP in both countries and provides employment for a large number of people.
To intensify cooperation, Koval proposed holding the inaugural meeting of the Ukrainian-Albanian Joint Commission this year.
Philip Morris Ukraine is considering the possibility of starting to export cigarettes from Ukraine, in particular to geographically close countries, said the company’s CEO Maxim Barabash during a roundtable discussion on “Current issues of Ukraine’s economic recovery and the role of state and business structures in this process” at the company’s new production facility in Lviv region.
“There is no potential for growth in cigarette production in Ukraine because it is a fairly stable market. As before the war, the potential lies in exports. We will look at which countries this can be done in,” he said.
Barabash recalled that before the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation, the factory in Kharkiv produced 20 billion cigarettes, half of which were for export, including to Japan.
“Most likely, due to the war, it will be difficult to resume exports to Japan; it will take more time, but this does not mean that we are not looking at other countries. We can start exporting to geographically close countries first,” said the CEO.
As reported, with the start of the full-scale invasion, Philip Morris was forced to shut down its factory in Kharkiv and invested $30 million in opening a new production facility in May 2024 in the Lviv region, which has five production lines with a capacity of 10 billion cigarettes per year and reached its planned capacity this year.
The company also invested an additional UAH 60 million in the construction of its own shelter on the factory premises for 170 employees and local residents.
According to YouControl, Philip Morris Ukraine increased its revenue by 86.7% to UAH 21.62 billion in 2024, while its net loss decreased by 30.1% to UAH 1.20 billion.
As of May 26, Ukraine has exported 37.722 million tons of grain and leguminous crops since the beginning of the 2024/25 marketing year (MY), of which 2.454 million tons were shipped this month, according to the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, citing data from the State Customs Service of Ukraine.
According to the report, as of May 29 last year, total shipments amounted to 46.353 million tons, including 4.947 million tons in May.
At the same time, in terms of crops, since the beginning of the current season, 14.635 million tons of wheat (732,000 tons in May), 2.293 million tons of barley (26,000 tons), 10,800 tons of rye (0), corn – 20.234 million tons (1.685 million tons).
Total exports of Ukrainian flour since the beginning of the season as of May 26 are estimated at 63.7 thousand tons (in May – 5.1 thousand tons), including wheat flour – 59.4 thousand tons (5 thousand tons).
In January-April this year, Ukrainian companies increased exports of ferrous metal scrap by 45.5% compared to the same period last year, to 127,209 tons from 87,414 tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS) on Tuesday, 46,321 thousand tons were exported in April (16.1% more than in March), 39,908 thousand tons in March (an increase of 57.8% compared to February), in February – 25,284 thousand tons of scrap metal (an increase of 61% compared to January), and in January – 15,696 thousand tons.
In monetary terms, scrap metal exports in January-April increased by 39.4% to $39.247 million from $28.155 million.
During the period in question, scrap metal exports were formally carried out mainly to Poland (86.96% of shipments in monetary terms), Greece (6.60%), and Germany (3.09%).
In the first four months of the year, Ukraine imported 33 tons of scrap metal worth $12,000 from Poland (54.55%), the Seychelles (36.36%), and the British Virgin Islands (9.09%).
According to data from the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Economic Development, last year almost 300,000 tons of ferrous metal scrap were exported from Ukraine to the EU with zero customs duties. The lion’s share of these exports transited through Constanta and other ports to Turkey and other countries, avoiding the payment of EUR 180 per tonne in customs duties, which is about UAH 2 billion in lost revenue to the state budget.
Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Economic Development Dmytro Kysilevsky emphasized that if this scrap had gone to Ukrainian factories, it would have created more added value in production, more taxes, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine could have received more funds to finance Ukraine’s defense needs.
Therefore, in view of this, Ukraine must begin consultations with its European partners on their ability to track the end user of raw materials, as well as on other more practical measures to ensure that these scarce raw materials remain and are processed in the country (…) Ukraine must be as firm as possible in defending its national interests,” the parliamentarian concluded.
In addition, it was reported that due to the sharp increase in exports of strategic raw materials from Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy initiated the introduction of a licensing and quota regime for the export of scrap metal with a zero quota. A public discussion of the draft resolution is currently underway. Its implementation is expected to contribute to the smooth operation of Ukraine’s metallurgical and foundry industries, as well as to stabilize the situation with the supply of scrap metal on the domestic market of Ukraine.
In 2024, Ukraine’s scrap metal collection companies increased their exports of ferrous scrap by 60.7% compared to 2023, to 293,190 thousand tons from 182,465 thousand tons. In monetary terms, scrap metal exports for the year increased by 73.2% to $91.311 million from $52.723 million.
The OKKO Group plans to open a new 60,000-tonne elevator by autumn 2025 and a bioethanol plant in summer 2026, OKKO Group CEO Vasyl Danylyak said in an interview with Tomas Fiala, co-founder of investment company Dragon Capital.
According to him, the company began construction of an 83,000-ton bioethanol plant last year. Only part of its production will be supplied to the domestic market, with the rest intended for export.
“In Ukraine, since May 1 of this year, there have been mandates to add 5% bioethanol to fuel in accordance with European standards, but this share may increase to 10%. Accordingly, after analyzing our market share, we decided to build a plant with a capacity of 83,000 tons. In addition, we worked with American consultants, who are number one in the market, on the format of the plant’s operation. Thanks to this, we chose the best option: it will work partly for our group and partly for export,” said Danylyak.
The CEO emphasized that by the fall of this year, the group of companies plans to complete the construction of a 60,000-ton storage elevator, and in June-July next year, it expects to fully launch the plant.
Danylyak also said that this year OKKO Group closed a deal to buy 17,000 hectares of land in the north of the Ternopil region and the south of the Rivne region, increasing its land bank to 50,000 hectares.
“As of today, we have a total of about 50,000 hectares under cultivation,” the top manager said.
He explained the interest in these regions by the favorable natural and climatic conditions and the best yield indicators compared to other regions.
Danylyak noted that an important component of OKKO’s agricultural portfolio is its partnership with the Gadz-Agro enterprise in the Ternopil region, in which the company acquired a stake in 2023. The enterprise cultivates 26,000 hectares of land and has about 10,000 head of cattle, of which 5,000 are dairy cows. It is also one of the largest horticultural farms in Ukraine, but OKKO decided not to integrate the horticultural part of the business.
OKKO Group unites more than 10 diverse businesses in the fields of manufacturing, trade, construction, insurance, services, and other services. The group’s flagship company is Galnaftogaz, which operates one of the largest petrol station chains in Ukraine under the OKKO brand, with around 400 petrol stations.
The founder and ultimate beneficiary of the group is Vitaliy Antonov.
