Ukrainian cheese market: production is restrained and exports are expanding
Pre-holiday sales of cheese in Ukraine showed mixed results, and the market remains under pressure from imported products.
This was reported by Infagro.
The growth in sales was recorded only by those producers who actively used promotional offers. At the same time, the overall competition in the market remains high, in particular due to cheaper European cheeses.
After the holidays, market participants expect a traditional decline in demand, so leading companies are in no hurry to increase production volumes. At the same time, prices remain high, and discounted promotional offers are likely to continue to be a key sales tool.
An additional pressure on the domestic market is exerted by the decline in cheese prices in Europe. Imported products remain attractive in terms of cost, and import volumes, in particular of hard and semi-hard cheeses, continue to grow. At the same time, this factor is not yet considered critical for the industry.
In the export segment, there is a decrease in the supply of semi-hard cheeses. Instead, cheese products, in particular processed and semi-hard cheese, show better sales dynamics.
The main markets for Ukrainian cheese remain Kazakhstan and Moldova, while cheese products are also actively supplied to the Caucasus countries. In addition, producers are gradually entering new markets, particularly in Africa.
Export prices for traditional cheeses remain relatively stable. At the same time, price fluctuations were observed in the segment of cheese products, although the market is currently showing signs of stabilization.
Experts also warn of possible difficulties with the export of processed cheese products due to the unstable situation in certain markets, in particular in the Middle East.
