Milk, Kefir, Cheese, and Sour Cream Prices in Ukraine: Trends and Forecasts
The cost of essential dairy products in Ukraine remains high, driven by rising energy costs. At the same time, there is a decrease in demand for fresh dairy products due to the decline in the population’s purchasing power.
This is reported by AgroReview
Price Trends for Basic Dairy Products
Over the month, most basic dairy items, such as milk, sour cream, and kefir, have increased in price by 1–3%. An exception is pasteurized milk with a fat content of up to 2.6% in film packaging, which decreased by 1% — its average price is 47.61 UAH/kg. In comparison, the same milk in plastic bottles rose by 1.7% and costs an average of 66.52 UAH/kg.
Sour cream with a fat content of 15% in film packaging increased in price by 1% (150.45 UAH/kg), while in cups, it rose by 1.5% (189.99 UAH/kg). Kefir with a fat content of 2.5% in film packaging added 1% to its value (57.16 UAH/kg), whereas in plastic bottles, its price went up by 3% (78.92 UAH/kg). This indicates that bottled products are becoming more expensive at a faster rate than those in film packaging.
A decrease in price has been recorded for drinking yogurt with a fat content of 1.6–2.8% (down 1.1%, average price — 114.49 UAH/kg) and cottage cheese with a fat content of 9% — the price decreased by 2% and is now 288.91 UAH/kg.
The price of butter with a fat content of 72.5–73% has remained almost unchanged — the average price is 588.8 UAH/kg (+0.4%).
Market Situation for Cheeses and Price Forecast
Cheese prices are also showing an increase. For instance, Ukrainian cheese with a fat content of 50% has risen by 2.2% — to 603.46 UAH/kg, Dutch cheese with a fat content of 45% — by 1.5% (598.44 UAH/kg), and mozzarella produced in Ukraine with a fat content of 45% — by 3% (622.52 UAH/kg). Meanwhile, the most significant price drop has been recorded for Ukrainian Gouda with a fat content of 45% — down 4%, with an average cost of 563.26 UAH/kg. This is the most significant price fluctuation among dairy products over the month.
Over the year, the price of Maasdam cheese produced in Ukraine with a fat content of 45% has significantly increased — the average price has risen to 740.57 UAH/kg, which is 31% higher than last year.
“According to forecasts, the cost of dairy products may rise by 4-5% in the near future. Due to the war, many farms are reducing their cattle herds — the number of animals decreases by 6-7% annually. Thus, the reduction in the supply of raw milk may stimulate price increases.”
Therefore, consumers should expect further price increases for dairy products in the near future, linked both to rising production costs and a decrease in the supply of raw milk on the market.