The cow population is declining due to the ongoing consequences of the war and the relocation of cattle. The reduction in the number of cows is most significant in household farms, while on agricultural enterprises, it remains stable compared to the previous year, reports Georghii Kukhaleishvili, an analyst at the Association of Milk Producers of Ukraine.
CURRENT SITUATION
According to preliminary data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine (SSSU), as of September 1, 2025, there are 2,124.3 thousand head of cattle (HOC), including 1,131 thousand cows, held in Ukraine's household and industrial sectors.
Compared to August 1, 2025, the total HOC in Ukraine decreased by 27.2 thousand head (-1.3%), and the number of cows decreased by 9.4 thousand head (-0.8%).
Compared to September 1, 2024, the HOC decreased by 225 thousand head (-10%), including cows, which fell by 122 thousand head (-10%). Approximately 44% of animals are kept on commercial enterprises, and 56% are in household farms.
SECTORAL BREAKDOWN
Industrial Sector (Commercial Enterprises):
Holds 932.8 thousand HOC, an increase of 9 thousand head (+1%) compared to August 1, 2025. The cow population stands at 381.5 thousand cows, a slight decrease of 100 head (-0.03%) over the last month. Over the last year, the HOC on enterprises increased by 5.1 thousand head (+0.55%), and the number of cows increased by 2.6 thousand head (+0.7%).
Household Sector:
Holds 1,191.5 thousand HOC, a decrease of 37 thousand head (-3%) compared to August 1, 2025. The number of cows as of September 1, 2025, was 749.5 thousand head, a decrease of 9 thousand head (-1.2%) compared to a month ago. Over the last year, the number of HOC in household farms decreased by 230 thousand head (-16%), and the number of cows fell by 125 thousand head (-14%).
REGIONAL DYNAMICS
According to preliminary SSSU data, the largest increase in the cow population was recorded on agricultural enterprises in (compared to September 1 of the previous year):
- Lviv region (+13%)
- Khmelnytskyi region (+7%)
- Rivne region (+6%)
- Ternopil region (+5%)
- Volyn region (+5%)
- Vinnytsia region (+4%).
Georghii Kukhaleishvili notes that the reduction of the cattle population is a long-standing issue in Ukraine due to the lack of an effective state support program for dairy farming, a situation the war has only exacerbated. A sharp decline continues in the East and South. Agricultural enterprises are relocating cows from Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions to safer regions in Western Ukraine due to the intensification of Russian missile and bomb attacks on border and frontline settlements. The cow population decreased in Chernivtsi and Zakarpattia regions, which is likely related to culling unproductive livestock. Due to relocation, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, and Ternopil regions have joined the regions leading in cattle numbers.
Most farms in Ukraine were built in the 1970s and 80s and no longer meet modern animal housing requirements. The lack of suitable premises for keeping cows creates prerequisites for a further reduction in the population. Many farmers are not investing in increasing cow numbers during the war and are experiencing a deficit of working capital. According to the study "Ukraine: The Impact of War on the Profitability of Agricultural Production" (conducted by UKAB, Ministry of Agrarian Policy, with GFDRR support), farmers' production costs are rising faster than prices for finished products due to increasing feed costs, electricity costs, hryvnia devaluation, and declining purchasing power of the population.
Regionally, about 50% of the total cattle population across all categories is concentrated in the following regions:
- Khmelnytskyi region – 196.1 thousand head;
- Poltava region – 178.7 thousand head;
- Vinnytsia region – 169.1 thousand head;
- Ternopil region – 132.5 thousand head;
- Odesa region – 132 thousand head;
- Cherkasy region – 128 thousand head;
- Chernihiv region – 125.8 thousand head.
Press service of the Association of Milk Producers
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