In Ukraine, there is a risk of losing major cheese producers by the end of 2025 due to the rapid increase in imports of this product, which could capture 80% of the domestic market. This warning comes from the Executive Director of the Dairy Enterprises Association, Arsen Didur. According to him, currently, 20-30 large and medium-sized enterprises provide the majority of national cheese production, employing around 200,000 workers.
This is reported by Business • Media
If the trend continues, the share of imported hard cheeses will keep growing, which may lead to the disappearance of the Ukrainian cheese industry. This will have negative consequences for farms and the cattle population in the country.
Increase in Imports and Its Impact on the Domestic Market
“In January-February 2025, major national retail chains accounted for 47% of domestic consumption of imported cheese,” Didur states.
Compared to 2014-2015, when the share of imported cheese in the domestic market was 11-15%, the situation has significantly worsened. Ukrainians consume approximately 8,000 tons of cheese per month, of which about 3,000 tons are imported from abroad each month, mainly from Poland. Another 1,000 tons of cheese enters the country illegally, without proper quality control and tax payments. At the same time, Ukrainian producers manufacture about 4,000 tons of cheese each month, creating tension between domestic production and imports.
If the trend of increasing imports does not change, the Ukrainian cheese industry may disappear, and farmers and cheese producers will suffer significant losses. This could lead to a decrease in the cattle population and a reduction in jobs in the sector.