Exports of milk and dairy products in 2023 fell by 25% compared to 2022 due to the restoration of demand for dairy products in the domestic market amid the return of Ukrainians from abroad, Project Manager for Relations with Processors at the Association of Milk Producers Olena Zhupinas has said.

Thanks to this trend, domestic consumption of these products may double in 2024, the representative of the Association said.

"The growth in exports in 2022 was associated with a sharp decline in consumption of dairy products within Ukraine in the first and second quarters due to a serious outflow of population, disruptions in supply chains and store closures. Consumption in the domestic market in 2022 was 28% of raw milk produced. That is why a significant part of raw milk was processed into commercial dairy products and subsequently exported, especially since in 2022 the price of milk in Ukraine was 50% of the European one," the expert said.

She added that this situation was beneficial to European traders who were interested in buying and reselling Ukrainian products.

Zhupinas emphasized that in 2023, domestic demand in Ukraine resumed due to the return of Ukrainians from abroad. As a result, domestic consumption grew by 14% compared to 2022. Milk from export dairy products flowed into the production of fresh produce and cheeses for the domestic market. In addition, the country had a serious domestic shortage of butter, which led to record imports. As a result, in 2023, there was a deficit in trade balance for dairy products.

"Ukraine still has fairly good prospects for increasing milk production, since there are requests from both the export market and the domestic market. We also must not forget that today the average Ukrainian consumes only 190 kg of dairy products in milk equivalent, and the sanitary norm for the proper functioning of the human body is 380 kg. That is, within the country we can double the consumption of dairy products," the Association said.