Forecast: meat prices in Ukraine may rise by 10% in 2025

Meat prices in Ukraine may rise again, specifically by 10% in 2025. Experts attribute this trend to the high cost of grain and the gradual reduction in livestock numbers observed since the beginning of the full-scale war.

This is reported by AgroReview

Denis Marchuk, Deputy Head of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council, noted that beef, traditionally the most expensive type of meat on the Ukrainian market, is not currently showing significant price fluctuations. He emphasized that beef consumption in Ukraine remains low, as Ukrainians prefer pork and chicken, which are cheaper.

“We do not produce much beef because there is not much of a culture of its consumption. Ukrainians are more oriented towards pork and — due to the lower price — chicken. Therefore, beef prices will remain more or less stable in the near future,” he said in a comment to the publication Glavred.

Marchuk also highlighted that the overall cost of meat directly depends on the harvest and prices of the grain group used as animal feed. The most noticeable price increases may relate to pork and poultry products, due to high feed costs and a reduction in livestock numbers.

“Currently, meat is getting more expensive because the price of the grain group is quite high, as there are transitional stocks between the old year and the new harvest. It should also be noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the number of cattle and pigs in Ukraine has started to decline. This creates problems in the market, as there is no way to fully meet the existing demand,” the expert noted.

According to him, a decrease in prices for pork or beef in 2025 should not be expected. During the Easter and May holidays, a price increase of 10% is possible.