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Argentina: dairy sector

This page contains data regarding key components of the Argentinian dairy industry over a given time period.

The following report:

  • highlights the complexity of the industry, which should be considered from several viewpoints: the commodities area, the variety of dairy derivatives, transit trade and domestic consumption;
  • indicates how the export-import ratio is completely in favour of exports - of WMP in particular;
  • stresses the particular features of a traditional product that is prevalent in domestic consumption: the dulce de leche.
ARGENTINA: DAIRY SECTOR
  x 1.000 ton
RAW MATERIAL AREA 2019 2020 2021 2022 2022 2023 % Period
Number of dairy cows ('000) (Source: FAO) 1.615 1.547 1.527
Number of dairy cows ('000) (Source: Senasa) 1.623 1.587
Milk production (Mil Lt) 10.343 11.113 11.553 11.557 923 955 +3,5% Jan 2023
Milk delivery (Mil Lt) 9.614 10.329 10.739 10.743 869 899 +3,5% Jan 2023
% Delivery on production 92,9% 93,0% 93,0% 94,2%
Farm gate milk price (€ x 100 lt) 26,50 23,51 26,72 36,14 30,88 35,90 +16,3% Jan-Feb 2023
± % Over the same period of the previous year -11,3% +13,7% +35,2%
Corn price (Rosario) (€\Ton) 125,2 131,4 170,0 232,8 222,5 239,3 (p) +7,5% Jan-Mar 2023
Soybeans price (Rosario) (€\Ton) 209,3 225,6 286,5 406,0 376,6 140,4 (p) -62,7% Jan-Mar 2023
DAIRY PRODUCTION 2019 2020 2021 2022 2022 2023 % Period
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) 1.212 1.254 1.199 1.168
Butter 29 35 41 39
Cheese 429 421 460 460
Hard cheese 43 33 37 50
Semi-hard cheese 131 126 151 156
Soft cheese 172 174 181 176
Processed cheese 56 59 58 57
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) 26 28 32 33
WMP (Whole milk powder) 188 213 234 213
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 45 52 55 51
Cream 59 61 61 66
Dulce de leche 97 107 97 102
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) 32 23 40 65
Dairy desserts and custards 29 27 27 27
Yogurt 354 356 332 352
EXPORT 2019 2020 2021 2022 2022 2023 % Period
Whey powder (HS 0404) TOP importers 42 32 40 38 2,8 3,0 +6,8% Jan 2023
Butter (HS 0405) TOP importers 8,2 14 16 12 2,1 1,0 -50,5% Jan 2023
Cheese (HS 0406) TOP importers 39 44 52 57 3,0 4,7 +56,7% Jan 2023
SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210) TOP importers 14 14 11 16 0,4 1,0 +162,3% Jan 2023
WMP (whole milk powder - HS 040221+040229) TOP importers 85 126 128 133 14 9,3 -31,5% Jan 2023
Casein (HS 350110) TOP importers
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) TOP importers 0,2 0,4 0,2 0,1
IMPORT 2019 2020 2021 2022 2022 2023 % Period
Condensed milk (HS 040291+040299) TOP exporters 0,2 0,2 0,4 0,4
Whey powder (HS 0404) TOP exporters 1,0 0,8 1,1 1,0 0,0 0,1 +145,8% Jan 2023
Cheese (HS 0406) TOP exporters 2,2 1,1 2,8 4,6 0,4 0,4 +9,4% Jan 2023
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) TOP exporters 1,4 1,6 2,0 1,8 0,1 0,1 -55,4% Jan 2023
STOCK (at 31 December) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2022 2023 % Period
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) 42,5 40,9 51,7 41,0
Butter 4,4 4,6 4,1 5,2
Cheese 47,4 47,8 49,7 49,9
Hard cheese 16,1 13,6 14,2 15,5
Semi-hard cheese 16,6 15,2 18,3 18,0
Soft cheese 11,1 15,0 11,8 12,7
Processed cheese 1,4 1,6 3,0 1,5
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) 2,2 2,3 2,4 2,1
WMP (Whole milk powder) 25,1 22,3 32,6 29,7
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 5,3 5,8 7,2 8,7
Cream 1,7 1,5 2,0 2,4
Dulce de leche 4,9 5,5 5,7 5,9
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) 2,3 2,4 5,5 8,4
Dairy desserts and custards 0,6 0,5 1,4 0,6
Yogurt 7,4 7,0 6,7 8,6
DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION (Source: FAS-USDA) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2022 2023(f) % Period
Cheese 461 420 457 435 435 450 +3,4% Jan-Dec 2023
Butter 19 14 10 10 10 10 0,0% Jan-Dec 2023
SMP 20 23 28 30 30 30 0,0% Jan-Dec 2023
WMP 84 80 73 70 70 70 0,0% Jan-Dec 2023
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTIONS (kg) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2022 2023(f) % Period
Cheese 10,30 9,33 10,09  
Butter 0,42 0,31 0,22  
SMP 0,45 0,51 0,62  
WMP 1,88 1,78 1,61  
% Self-sufficiency 100,0% 100,0% 100,0% 100,0%
SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDICATORS 2019 2020 2021 2022 2022 2023(f) % Period
Population ('000) 44.746 45.036 45.277
GDP per capita (U.S. dollars) 10.054 (e) 8.572 (e) 10.659 (e)
GDP per capita (€) * 8.981(e) 7.500(e) 9.012(e)
(e) estimated
* Per capita GDP in Euro is calculated by using the yearly average exchange rate
(p): partial data
(f): forecast
NOTE:Per capita consumptions are obtained dividing total consumption (Source FAS-USDA ) by the population (Source FAO)

Source Raw milk area: Subsecretaría de Lechería - Ministerio de Agroindustria; Number of cows: FAO, National Animal Health and Agrifood Quality Service (SENASA);
Source Dairy production: Subsecretaría de Lechería - Ministerio de Agroindustria, from 2015 data is collected by a panel of dairies according to "Relevamiento Coyuntural de la Resolución 230/16" and historical information of the "Resolución 7/14".
Source Export and Import: IHS
Source Consumption: FAS-USDA
GDP per capita: International Monetary Found
Source Population: FAO
Note: Self-sufficiency rate = Milk deliveries/(Domestic use in milk equivalent ME)
Domestic use in milk equivalent (ME) = Milk deliveries + Import in ME - Export in ME

Last update: 2023-03-21
NOTE: Access to World Dairy Trade, which also contains the processing of Import / Export of the Argentina with MONTHLY UPDATES, is reserved for Supporters of CLAL.it


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