The largest reduction is occurring in private households, primarily in eastern regions due to hostilities and risks to farms. Furthermore, keeping cows in rural areas is becoming economically difficult without state support and appropriate programs. Despite the unprofitability of raw milk production, the industrial sector is not yet reducing its livestock numbers.
According to preliminary data from the State Statistics Service, as of February 1, 2026, there are 1,724.8 thousand head of cattle in the household and industrial sectors of Ukraine, including 958.7 thousand cows. Compared to January 1, 2026, the cattle population in Ukraine decreased by 79.3 thousand head (-4%), and the number of cows decreased by 63.6 thousand head (-6%). Compared to February 1, 2025, the cattle population decreased by 304 thousand head (-15%), including cows by 197 thousand head (-17%). About 55% of the animals are kept at industrial enterprises, and 45% in households.
In the industrial sector, there are 952.2 thousand head of cattle, which is 4.5 thousand head more (+0.47%) compared to January 1, 2026. The cow population stands at 395.9 thousand head and grew by 9.6 thousand head (+2.5%) over the last month. The increase in population resulted from an increase in the number of heifers on dairy farms in the fourth quarter of 2025; however, it should be noted that the decline in the purchase price for raw milk has led to the unprofitability of dairy farming and restrains further investment in population growth.
In the household sector, there are 772.6 thousand head of cattle, which is 84 thousand head less (-10%) compared to January 1, 2026. The number of cows in households as of February 1, 2026, was 562.8 thousand head, which is 73 thousand head less (-12%) than a month ago. Over the last year, the number of cattle in households decreased by 340 thousand head (-31%), and the number of cows decreased by 216 thousand head (-28%).
According to preliminary data from the State Statistics Service, growth in the number of cows was recorded at agricultural enterprises in 13 regions, namely in Lviv region (+22%), Rivne region (+19%), Volyn region (+16%), Chernihiv region (+10%), Ternopil region (+9%), Kyiv region (+8%), Khmelnytskyi region (+8%), Zhytomyr region (+6%), Cherkasy region (+3%), Vinnytsia region (+2%), Ivano-Frankivsk region (+2%), Poltava region (+2%), and Mykolaiv region (+1%) compared to February 1 of last year.
The reduction of the cattle population is a long-standing problem for Ukraine due to the lack of an effective state program to support dairy farming. The war has only worsened the situation. According to the study "Ukraine: Impact of War on Agricultural Production Profitability" conducted by UCAB and MinAgro (since July 2025, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture), with the support of GFDRR, farmers' production costs are rising faster than the prices of finished products due to the increasing cost of feed, electricity, the devaluation of the hryvnia, and the decline in consumer purchasing power.
It is likely that the sharp drop in raw milk prices due to the unforeseen increase in global production of milk and dairy products in the second half of 2025, as well as rising production costs on dairy farms, may lead to a reduction in the cow population or the exit from the industry of certain farms with populations up to 400 head during 2026. However, those dairy farms that manage to preserve their livestock despite the difficult conditions will benefit in the foreseeable future. In 2028-2030, the purchase price level is likely to be higher than in 2020-2024.
In the regional breakdown, about 53% of the total cattle population is kept in households of all categories in the following regions:
- Poltava region – 162.60 thousand head;
- Khmelnytskyi region – 145.20 thousand head;
- Vinnytsia region – 141.70 thousand head;
- Cherkasy region – 124.20 thousand head;
- Chernihiv region – 123.80 thousand head;
- Odesa region – 115.70 thousand head;
- Kyiv region – 103.40 thousand head.
Press Service of the Association of Milk Producers
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