Ukraine’s animal husbandry brief overview

1. Key outlines

Animal husbandry of Ukraine owes its successful development to favorable natural and climatic conditions as well as to its fertile black soils (chernozems).

Largest share in entire animal husbandry structure (except for poultry) is held by pigs, followed by rabbits, cows and cattle. Sheep, goats and horses are less numerous.

The overall number of cattle in Ukraine equals 3.6 heads as of April 2019 and includes 1.92 million heads of cows. Pigs number 6.16 million heads, sheep and goats – 1.4 million heads. Poultry numbers 204.7 million heads. [1]

2. Animal husbandry products’ output volumes 

According to the results of 2018 the output of animal husbandry products by all kinds of farms has increased by 0.3% comparing to 2017 and has been contributed to by: 10 million tons of milk, 16,138.5 million pcs of poultry eggs, 3.31 million tons of farm animals sold, 1,913 tons of wool. [2] 

Households account for significant share in entire Ukrainian animal husbandry products output’s structure.

3. Largest producers 

TOP meat producers: ‘Myronisky Hliboproduct’ PrJSC, ‘Agromars Complex’, ‘APK-Invest’ PJSC, ‘Agro-Oven’. [3]  

Largest poultry farms: ‘Vinnytska Ptakhofabryka (Vinnytsia Poultry Farm), ‘Myronivska Pricefabrika (Myronivska Poultry Farm), ‘Oril-Leader’ PrJSC, ‘Volodymyr-Volynskyy Poultry Farm’ PrJSC.

4. Export volumes of animal husbandry products 

Export volumes of animal husbandry products grow. For instance, according to the results of 2018 the exports equaled USD1.4 billion, whereas export of meats has increased by 21.6% comparing to 2017 and totaled USD646 million. 2018 was marked with setting an absolute record in exports of poultry meat numbering 329 thousand tons for the value of USD506 million. [4]  

Exports of meat and sub-products from Ukraine in January 2019 increased by 18% comparing to January 2018 and amounted to USD45.6 million. [5]

5. Main exporters of animal husbandry products 

According to the results of 2018 fresh beef was mainly exported by Agroproduct’ LTD, ‘Gazagroprom’ LLC, ‘Tornado-Zahid’ PE, ‘Konotopmjaso (Konotop Meat)’ PJSC and ‘Vizit’ LLC. 

Largest fresh pork exporters: ‘APK-Invest’ PJSC, ‘EuroCommerce’ LLC, ‘Alfa Food Trade’ LLC and ‘Amtek Trade’ LLC. [6] 

Largest milk and cream exporters are: ‘Loostdorf’ LLC, ‘Lactalis’ SC, ‘Food Development’ LLC, ‘Vinnytsia Dairy Plant “Roshen”’ PJSC, ‘Sandora’ LLC, ‘Yampil Cheese-and-Butter Factory’ LLC, ‘Titan’ LLC, Combine Pridneprovsky’ PJSC. [7]

‘Agroholding Avangard’ LLC - the largest egg and egg by-products producer in Europe - has topped the 2018 ranking of chicken egg exporters (‘Kvocka’ ТМ). [8] The company has provided for 46.7% of exports. Second place was taken by ‘Yasensvit’ LLC with 20.7% of exports. ‘Inter-Zaporizhia’ Group of companies is in third place with 19,3%. The leading three are followed by ‘Agrofirm Berezan Poultry Factory’ PrJSC, ‘Poultry Factory Podillya’ LLC, ‘Ternopilska Poultry Farm’ PJSC, ‘Poultry Factory Kyivagro’ LLC and ‘Bashtanka Poultry Factory’ LLC. [9]

6. Exports of meat products

Exported according to the results of 2018: 15.7 thousand tons of fresh and chilled beef for the value of USD45 million, 25.9 thousand tons of frozen beef for the value of USD79.4 million, 1.7 thousand tons of fresh pork for the value of USD3.7 million. 

Small business dominates the export market of fresh and chilled beef with 65% share. According to the results of 2018 large companies accounted for just 19.6% of entire exports and medium-sized business held 15.4%. Main sales markets: Belarus (88.5%) and Turkey (11.1%). 

The export market of frozen beef is also dominated by small business with 52.4% share. Medium-sized business holds 26%, and the large one manages 19%. The list of 2018 TOP Ukrainian frozen beef importers: Azerbaijan (26.4%), Kazakhstan (25.5%), and Belarus (18.4%). [10]

Fresh and chilled as well as frozen pork was mainly exported by representatives of small business (45% share). The share of medium-sized business accounted for 37%, and large business managed 18%. Pork was largely purchased by Hong Kong (59.8%), Georgia (17.3%) and Vietnam (14%). [11]

Positive trend for the growth of meat and sub-products’ exports is kept due to the vast geographical diversification and firm establishment of this group of Ukrainian products at the new markets.

7. Largest importers of Ukraine’s meat products

In 2018 the following countries have become the largest importers of Ukraine’s meat products: the Netherlands (17.9%), Slovakia (9.3%), Saudi Arabia (9%), Belarus (8.4%), Iraq (7%), Azerbaijan (6.1%) and Germany (5%) – these countries’ consolidated share in exports of meat products totals almost 63%. [12]

8. Poultry meat exports 

Poultry meat segment is the TOP one in the industry. The export volume increased by 22.2% comparing to 2017 and reached an absolute record of 326.7 thousand tons and USD506.6 million. The volume of supplies to Europe increased by 62.4% and their share in entire export grew from 25% to 33.3%. Supplies of Ukraine’s poultry to Asian and Middle East countries grew by 37.6%. Main consumers in this region are Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Vietnam and Hong Kong. 

The 2018 list of the largest poultry meat buyers is comprised of the Netherlands (14.9%), Iraq (11.1%), Saudi Arabia (9.7%) and Slovakia (9.5%). In 2018 Ukraine has also break-opened the new markets of Gibraltar, Croatia, Laos, Mali, Morocco and Haiti. 

Experts forecast poultry meat to again become one of the leading export commodities in 2019. The records set so far for export volumes are most likely to be renewed. [13]

9. Largest poultry meat exporters

Ukraine’s largest chicken and poultry meat exporters:

Agroholding ‘Myronivsky Hliboproduct’. It has provided for 87.9% of entire exports in 10 months of 2018 having exported 286.8 thousand tons of chicken, which is 30% more than in 2017.

Runner-up is Zaporizhia-based ‘Meat Processing Complex LTD’ (up to 2.7%), and the third place belongs to ‘Poultry Complex “Hubyn”’ (2.5%) followed by ‘Ptahokomplex (poultry complex) Dniprovsky’ (1,8%) and ‘Agro-Oven’ company (up to 1.8%). [14]

10. 2018 exports of eggs surpass the results of 2017 by 21% 

Ukraine has exported 107.5 tons of eggs in 2018, which is 21% more than the figure of 2017 (88.6 thousand tons). Revenue-wise the exports increased by 37% up to USD94,1 million. 

TOP-3 list of main buyers of Ukraine’s eggs in 2018 is comprised of the UAE (USD34.5 million), Iraq (USD19 million) and Qatar (USD9.7 million). [15] 

11. Milk exports

According to the results of 2018 Ukraine has exported USD14.7 million worth of milk and cream to more than 70 countries of the world. The CIS countries have purchased USD4.1 million worth of milk, Europe – USD3.2 million, Asian countries – USD4.5 million and African countries – USD2.7 million. [16]

12. Perspective markets for animal husbandry products 

Experts believe that export of beef and cattle livestock to Middle East countries is one of the most perspective directions in animal husbandry due to its attractiveness stipulated by price policy and quality. 

Ukrainian products are ecologically clean since they are grown on non-GMO fodder. It is prohibited by law in Ukraine to grow the GMO-modified grains, and that is why animals are fed by ecologically clean fodders. [17]

[1] - http://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/ 

[2] - https://ukrstat.org/uk/operativ/operativ2018/sg/vpt/vpt_u/arh_vpt2018_u.html 

[3] - https://agravery.com/uk/posts/show/top-5-najbilsih-virobnikiv-masa-v-ukraini 

[4] - https://www.unian.ua/economics/agro/10446417-ukrajina-zbilshila-eksport-m-yasa-naybilshi-krajini-pokupci.html 

[5] - https://www.unian.ua/economics/agro/10446417-ukrajina-zbilshila-eksport-m-yasa-naybilshi-krajini-pokupci.html 

[6] - https://agro.guide/reitynh-eksporteriv-svynyny-ialovychyny-ta-m-iasa-ptytsi-u-2018-rotsi-1839/  

[7] - https://agravery.com/uk/posts/show/top-10-eksporteriv-ta-importeriv-moloka-i-verskiv 

[8] - https://ukranews.com/ua/news/622124-avangard-bahmatyuka-ocholyv-top-9-ukrayinskyh-kompanij-eksporteriv-kuryachogo-yajtsya 

[9] - https://agropolit.com/rating/top-9-kompaniy-eksporteriv-kuryachogo-yaytsya-za-2018-rik

[10] - https://shuvar.com/news/3625/Bilsh-nizh-50proc-eksportnoho-rynku-yalovychyny-zaymaye-malyy-biznes 

[11] - https://agro.guide/reitynh-eksporteriv-svynyny-ialovychyny-ta-m-iasa-ptytsi-u-2018-rotsi-1839/ 

[12] - https://www.unian.ua/economics/agro/10446417-ukrajina-zbilshila-eksport-m-yasa-naybilshi-krajini-pokupci.html 

[13] - https://business.ua/biznes/item/4708-ukrainske-tvarynnytstvo-chym-eksportery-mozhut-pokhvalytys 

[14]- https://landlord.ua/news/nazvano-5-naibilshykh-eksporteriv-kuriatyny/ 

[15] - http://naas.gov.ua/newsukraine/?ELEMENT_ID=4736 

[16] - http://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/ 

[17] - https://business.ua/biznes/item/4708-ukrainske-tvarynnytstvo-chym-eksportery-mozhut-pokhvalytys