The share of individual milk producers in common dairy production of Ukraine remains at the level of about 80%, but the amount of the milk which goes to the processing plants has been decreasing. According to the State Department of Statistics, last year the share of individual producers in milk deliveries to processing plants accounted to 63%. Currently, this indicator has decreased to 54%.
In spite of the fact that average price for milk from farming enterprises is by half higher than the price for individual producers, dairy companies work more intensively with big milk producers. In fact, there are some differences in the structure of raw milk purchase in different regions in Ukraine. In western regions the share of individual milk producers is higher than in eastern, northern or central ones. However, the tendency remains unchanged.
The share of milk produced by large-scale dairy producers has increased by 9% for 9 months this year. At the same time, the amount of raw milk sold by individual producers decreased by 25%.
Gradual shift of Ukrainian milk processors to high-quality raw milk and safety makes the dairy industry more competitive at the international markets, and improves its image among the domestic consumers.