The rise in purchase prices for milk raw materials and production costs at dairy processing plants is contributing to the increase in dairy product prices on supermarket shelves and a reduction in consumption on the domestic market. This was reported by the Association of Dairy Producers.
Georgiy Kukhaleyshvili, an analyst at the Association of Dairy Producers, noted that in the past three months, milk raw material prices have increased in Ukraine due to a shortage of milk on the domestic market, which has led to higher prices for finished products that are part of the consumer basket.
In the structure of production costs at dairy processing plants, milk raw material makes up 60%. Additional expenses for logistics and storage of dairy products also impact the prices in supermarkets.
Due to inflation, prices are rising not only for dairy products but also for other food items. As a result of high prices, Ukrainian consumers with below-average incomes have started to cut back on dairy products, and dairy processing plants are reducing shipments of finished products to the domestic market.
The decline in demand for dairy products in Ukraine may contribute to some price stabilization for milk raw materials in the second half of December. This could eventually lead to a certain decrease in prices on supermarket shelves.
As of December 3, the prices for various dairy products in Ukraine have increased as follows:
Milk
- Pasteurized milk with 2.5% fat content costs 55.04 UAH per kg, which is 4.41 UAH (+8%) more than last month and 12.17 UAH (+22%) higher than last year.
Kefir
- Kefir with 2.5% fat content in various packaging costs 64.81 UAH per kg, which is 2.95 UAH (+4.6%) more than a month ago and 15.20 UAH (+23%) more than last year.
Sour Cream
- Sour cream with 15% fat content in various packaging costs 156.79 UAH per kg, which is 10.15 UAH (+6.5%) more than the previous month and 37.15 UAH (+24%) more than last year.
Yogurts
- The average price of drinking yogurt in plastic bottles, film, or cardboard cartons is 101.86 UAH per kg, which is 6.86 UAH (+7%) more than last month and 15.12 UAH (+15%) more than last year.
- Yogurt in cups costs 156.36 UAH per kg, which is 7.12 UAH (+4.6%) more than the end of October and 34.89 UAH (+22%) more than last year.
Cottage Cheese
- The average price of cottage cheese with 9% fat content is 257.10 UAH per kg, which is 5.64 UAH (+2.2%) more than last month and 61.12 UAH (+24%) more than last year.
Butter
- Domestic butter with 73% fat content costs 518.23 UAH per kg, which is 21.08 UAH (+4%) more than last month and 153.54 UAH (+30%) more than last year.
Cheeses
- Ukrainian cheese with 50% fat content costs 513.52 UAH per kg, which is 17.33 UAH (+3%) more than last month and 88.07 UAH (+17%) more than last year.
- Dutch cheese with 45% fat content costs 499.39 UAH per kg, which is 7.30 UAH (+1%) more than last month and 77.73 UAH (+16%) more than last year.
- Domestic Maasdam cheese with 45% fat content costs 564.12 UAH per kg, which is 1.39 UAH (-0.2%) less than last month, but 25.58 UAH (+5%) more than last year.
- Imported Maasdam cheese costs 672.54 UAH per kg, which is 19% more expensive than domestic Maasdam.
- Ukrainian Gouda cheese with 45% fat content costs 523.34 UAH per kg, which is 28.35 UAH (+5%) more than last month and 97.83 UAH (+19%) more than last year.
- Imported Gouda costs 519.37 UAH per kg, which is 1% more expensive than domestic Gouda.
- Domestic mozzarella with 45% fat content costs 526.78 UAH per kg, which is 25.82 UAH (+5%) more than last month and 205.68 UAH (+39%) more than last year.
- Imported mozzarella costs 610.50 UAH per kg, which is 16% more expensive than domestic mozzarella.
