As of February 1, there were less than 1 million cows left in Ukraine, but milk prices continue to fall

As of February 1, the cattle population in Ukraine decreased by 15.3% compared to the corresponding figure of the previous year to 1.7 million heads, in particular cows - by 17.2% to 958.7 thousand heads, according to the State Statistics Service.

Moreover, while the number of cattle on private farms decreased by 30.1% to 772.6 thousand heads, on agricultural enterprises it increased by 2.3% to 952.2 thousand heads.

In addition, the number of poultry increased by 5.1% to 191.5 million heads, sheep and goats decreased by 13.3% to 742.7 thousand heads, and pigs decreased by 0.6% to 4.46 million heads.

Purchase prices for milk have decreased by 23% over the past 5 months and are now 13.5-15 UAH/kg excluding VAT, which makes production unprofitable.

Long power outages and severe frosts in January-February 2026 forced farms to actively use generators, which increased the cost of milk. And small farmers who were unable to ensure stable operation of milking machines saw their milk yields significantly decrease.

In Ukraine, milk purchase prices are falling amid low domestic demand and falling butter prices in the EU. Dairy exports to the EU remain low, given the low prices on the European market. Sometimes dairy processing plants are forced to sell butter and milk powder at a loss to pay off current debts, although milk prices in the retail chain have not decreased.

Additionally, prices in Europe are being pressured by duty-free supplies of cheap dairy products from the US, including butter, in accordance with recent trade agreements. In the US, prices for dairy raw materials and finished products are currently lower than in Ukraine, which reduces the competitiveness of Ukrainian dairy products on the European market.