Butter gets more expensive, milk gets cheaper: how dairy product prices changed in a month

Prices for dairy products in the consumer basket either remained unchanged over the last month or increased by an average of 2.9%, with butter seeing the largest increase. The abolition of EU trade preferences may further lead to a decrease in domestic prices. This was reported by the Association of Milk Producers, writes UNN.

Over the last month in Ukraine, prices decreased for pasteurized milk with a fat content of up to 2.6% in film packaging, kefir with a fat content of 2.5% in Tetrapak and glass, cottage cheese with a fat content of 9%, and Suluguni cheese. Prices for other dairy products in the consumer basket either remained unchanged, or increased by an average of 2.9%

Butter saw the largest price increase on supermarket shelves. “Butter is getting more expensive following high global prices for exchange-traded goods. In particular, the price of butter in the EU in May remained at 7200-7400 euros per ton, which are almost record figures not recorded since 2017-2018,” the APM noted.

Dairy product prices are as follows:

• Pasteurized milk with a fat content up to 2.6% in film packaging costs on average 45.65 UAH per kg.
• Pasteurized milk with a fat content up to 2.6% in plastic bottles costs on average 63.81 UAH/kg.
• Kefir with a fat content of 2.5% in film packaging costs on average 55.54 UAH per kg.
• Kefir with a fat content of 2.5% in plastic bottles costs on average 76.75 UAH per kg.
• Kefir with a fat content of 2.5% in Tetrapak costs 72.82 UAH per kg.
• Sour cream with a fat content of 15% in cups costs on average 191.13 UAH per kg.
• Sour cream with a fat content of 15% in film packaging costs on average 146.08 UAH per kg.
• The average price for drinking yogurt from 1.6% to 2.8% in plastic bottles was 116.44 UAH per kg.
• Spoonable yogurt with a fat content from 1.6% to 2.8% in cups costs on average 161.62 UAH per kg.
• The average price for cottage cheese with a fat content of 9% was 279.80 UAH per kg.
• Butter with a fat content from 72.5% to 73% of domestic production costs on average 584.82 UAH per kg.
• Ukrainian cheese with a fat content of 50% costs on average 578.09 UAH per kg.
• Dutch cheese with a fat content of 45% costs on average 590.64 UAH per kg.
• The average price for Maasdam cheese with a fat content of 45% of domestic production was 709.65 UAH per kg.
• Gouda cheese with a fat content of 45% from Ukrainian companies costs on average 593.14 UAH per kg.
• Mozzarella with a fat content of 45% of Ukrainian production costs on average 596.42 UAH per kg.

According to the association, the increase in the supply and consumption of imported cheeses in the domestic market hinders the sale of products by domestic cheesemakers. “The share of imported cheeses in the domestic market has reached 47%. In the future, a decrease in prices for raw milk and dairy products is likely due to the EU’s cancellation of autonomous trade measures (ATMs) for milk and dairy products from Ukraine, which since 2022 allowed domestic processing enterprises to supply their products to the EU without quotas and duties,” the report states.

If it is not possible to reach an agreement with the European Commission on increasing quotas for dairy products or on their abolition and maintaining duty-free trade, then, as emphasized, Ukraine’s export volumes of exchange-traded goods are likely to decrease, “and an increase in surplus raw milk and unsold products should put pressure on domestic prices”.