The cow population in Ukraine is declining rapidly
The cattle herd in Ukraine continues to shrink, particularly on private farms. Over the past year, the number of cattle has decreased by 403,000 head, and the number of cows by 205,000.
The main reasons for this decline are low milk purchase prices and rising costs of animal care. Experts warn that without changes in the industry, this trend may continue.
As of July 1, 2026, there were 1,767,000 head of cattle in the regions, including 941,200 cows. Industrial enterprises currently account for about 54% of the total livestock population, while private households account for 46%.
Trends in the Industrial and Household Sectors
The commercial sector holds 955,200 head of cattle. Over the past year, the number of cattle at commercial enterprises increased by 33,300 head (+4%), while the cow population rose by 14,500 head (+4%) to 396,600 head.
The backyard farming sector has 811,800 head of cattle. Over the past year, the number of cattle on private farms decreased by 436,000 head (-35%), and the number of cows decreased by 220,000 head (-29%) to 544,600 head.
An increase in the number of cows on commercial farms was recorded in 12 regions, with the largest increases in:
Rivne (+21%);
Lviv (+20%);
Ternopil (+15%);
Kharkiv (+15%);
Zhytomyr (+8%).
Reasons for the Decline and Economic Factors
According to the Ukrainian Association of Livestock Breeders (AVM), the cow herd in Ukraine has nearly halved since 2014. Agricultural enterprises in the east and south are relocating their livestock to the central and western regions due to the threat of military strikes. Recovery is being hampered by rising costs for fertilizers, energy, transportation, and compliance with EU requirements.
As analysts note, the price of raw milk is currently below production costs, prompting farmers to sell their cattle while beef prices on foreign markets remain high. Since the beginning of the year, exports of live cattle have increased by 11.5%.
About 52% of the cows in the commercial sector are concentrated in the following regions:
Poltava—52,800 head;
Cherkasy — 46,000;
Chernihiv — 38,800;
Kyiv — 35,600;
Vinnytsia — 33,000.
Outlook for the Industry
"If Ukraine does not modernize its dairy processing plants by 2035 to enable more advanced milk processing and if these plants do not begin purchasing milk at higher prices, then small and medium-sized farms—which currently account for about 40% of the total livestock population— may disappear from the market. Given the low purchase prices, they are among the least protected market participants,” analysts note.
This was reported by the Association of Milk Producers (AMP).
A herd of feral cows was spotted in the Chernobyl Nature Reserve.
Russian authorities destroyed livestock belonging to Siberian farmers worth nearly $20 million.
