Cattle Population in Ukraine Decreased by 205,000 Head Over the Year

Over the past year, the population of cattle in Ukraine has decreased by 403,000 head (-19%), with the number of cows dropping by 205,000 head (-18%). This reduction is occurring in the household sector due to low purchase prices for milk and rising production costs. As of July 1, 2026, the country has 1,767,000 head of cattle, of which 941,200 are cows. Industrial enterprises hold about 54% of the population, while private households account for 46%. In the industrial sector, the cattle population increased by 33,300 head (+4%), and the number of cows rose by 14,500 head (+4%). In the household sector, the number of cattle decreased by 436,000 head (-35%), and the number of cows fell by 220,000 head (-29%). The growth in the number of cows in enterprises was recorded in 12 regions, with the highest increases in Rivne (+21%) and Lviv (+20%). Since 2014, the number of cows in Ukraine has decreased by almost three times. Farmers are forced to sell livestock due to low milk prices, which has also contributed to an 11.5% increase in the export of live cattle since the beginning of the year. It is predicted that without modernization of dairy processing enterprises, small and medium-sized farms may disappear from the market.