Ukrainian cheeses continue to lose share of domestic market – analysts
December is traditionally one of the most successful months for Ukrainian cheese producers in terms of sales, but in 2025, not all companies in the industry can boast of positive dynamics, the analytical publication Infagro reported.
"Although cheese consumption in Ukraine has probably increased, the majority of the growth was due to imported products," the analysts noted. They added that this is due to the significant price advantage of European cheeses.
Importers purchase products in EU countries at a much lower price than production costs in Ukraine. According to experts, the cost will not increase in the near future.
The agency noted that, although not as much as predicted, cheese imports to Ukraine increased in November. Compared to October, imports increased by 10%. Imports of "white" cheeses increased by 4%. Meanwhile, imports of processed cheeses decreased by 18%.
Experts hope that import growth will be more active in December, as it was last year.
They noted that cheese consumption in Ukraine has not yet returned to pre-war levels, making it difficult for domestic producers to compete. According to analysts, sales of semi-hard cheeses on the domestic market will be 17% lower in 2025 than in 2021. Meanwhile, the average Ukrainian consumes about 2 kg of semi-hard cheese per year, about a quarter of which is European-made.
"Exports of semi-hard cheeses from Ukraine remain half as high as imports. At the same time, export prices exceed import prices. In November, exports of processed cheese products sharply decreased to the lowest level since the beginning of the year," stated Infagro.
