The situation on the Ukrainian dairy market, particularly in the cheese segment, deteriorated in the first half of 2026.

In June 2026, cheese import volumes exceeded 4.9 thousand tonnes for the first time that year – 4.5 times higher than export volumes. This indicates a strengthening presence of imported products on the Ukrainian market.

An unfavorable situation was also recorded in June on the butter market. The growth in imports is leading to the accumulation of significant inventories and an increase in promotional activities in retail chains.

At the same time, the export dynamics of fermented milk products remain positive. For the first half of the year, exports of this category grew by 27.5%, with monthly figures reaching the highest levels in recent years.

In the whey segment, exports continue to exceed imports, but the ratio between them has deteriorated significantly: whereas exports were previously 4.4 times higher, they are now only 2.35 times higher. This points to a gradual reduction in Ukraine’s export advantage for this product category.

Overall, the volume of foreign trade in dairy products (including casein) in the first half of 2026 decreased by $75.6 million compared to the previous year. According to analysts, import volumes grew significantly for butter (2.5 times), drinking milk/liquid cream (2.5 times), and whey (1.85 times). Cheese imports increased by 20.5%, and fermented milk products by 11.5%. A decrease in import volumes was recorded only for skimmed milk powder (-4.5%), though Ukraine imports only a negligible amount of this product.

Reference source: http://surl.li/njbjdhq56267