Business

The rate of decline in the number of cows in Ukraine has slowed. But are there any grounds for optimism?

In Ukraine, the number of cattle increased in March, while the rate of decline in the number of cows slowed. However, the processes of relocation and the potential threat of foot-and-mouth disease spread from European countries are holding back the increase in the number of cattle. This is emphasized by the Association of Milk Producers, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.

How many cattle are there in Ukraine now

According to preliminary data from the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, as of April 1, 2025, 2 million 138.4 thousand heads of cattle are kept in the household and industrial sector of Ukraine, including 1 million 149.9 thousand cows.

Compared to the situation as of March 1, 2025, the number of cattle in Ukraine increased by 56 thousand heads (plus 3%), while the number of cows decreased by 200 heads (minus 0.02%).

Compared to the situation as of April 1, 2024, the number of cattle decreased by 178 thousand heads (minus 8%), including cows – by 107 thousand heads (minus 9%).

Approximately 43% of the animals are kept at industrial enterprises, and 57% are kept in households.

Why the number of cattle in Ukraine is not growing significantly

The reduction in cattle numbers has been taking place in Ukraine for many years due to the lack of an effective state program to support dairy farming. This is emphasized by Giorgi Kukhaleishvili, an analyst at the Association of Milk Producers.

According to him, the decline in the number of cattle accelerated after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.

“A typical situation for the frontline regions is the death of a certain number of cattle as a result of shelling by the Russian occupiers. Many farmers left their cows in the occupied territories. These animals are not accounted for or were confiscated by the Russian occupiers and sold for meat. Farmers send injured cows to be culled, which also contributes to the reduction of the livestock,” the expert notes.

He also draws attention to another current reality.

“As of now, there are prerequisites for the relocation of farms from Dnipropetrovs’k and Sumy regions to other regions of Ukraine. But farmers will be able to relocate only a part of their livestock, as most farms in Ukraine were built in the 70s and 80s and no longer meet the requirements for keeping animals,” says Kukhaleishvili.

Many farmers, according to the analyst, do not invest in increasing the number of cows also because they lack working capital.

According to the study “Ukraine: The Impact of War on Agricultural Profitability” conducted by the Ukrainian Agribusiness Association and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy with the support of the GFDRR project, farmers’ production costs are growing faster than prices for finished products due to rising feed costs, electricity costs, hryvnia devaluation, and declining purchasing power.

Are there any grounds for positive expectations?

There is cautious optimism about the increase in the number of dairy farms in relatively safe regions of Ukraine. This is the opinion of Giorgi Kukhaleishvili, an analyst at the Association of Milk Producers.

According to the association’s estimates, at least 40 farms are currently modernizing existing and future facilities and increasing the number of highly productive cows despite the war.

According to preliminary data from the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the growth in the number of cows compared to April last year was recorded at agricultural enterprises:

Ternopil region – plus 9%,

Mykolaiv region – plus 6%,

Khmelnytsky region – plus 5%,

Lviv region – plus 4%,

Cherkasy region – plus 3%,

Poltava region – plus 1%,

Vinnytsia region – plus 1%.