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 | 9.482 | 9.370 | -1,2% | Jan-Oct 2023 | ||
Milk delivery (Mil Lt) | 9.614 | 10.329 | 10.739 | 10.743 | 8.818 | 8.715 | -1,2% | Jan-Oct 2023 | ||
% Delivery on production | 92,9% | 93,0% | 93,0% | 93,0% | ||||||
Farm gate milk price (€ x 100 lt) | 26,50 | 23,51 | 26,72 | 36,14 | 36,00 | 35,86 | -0,4% | Jan-Oct 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 | 232,8 | 217,3 (p) | -6,7% | Jan-Dec 2023 | ||
Soybeans price (Rosario) (€\Ton) | 209,3 | 225,6 | 286,5 | 406,0 | 406,0 | 425,2 (p) | +4,7% | Jan-Dec 2023 | ||
DAIRY PRODUCTION | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023 | % | Period | ||
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) | 1.212 | 1.254 | 1.199 | 1.168 | 870 | 862 | -0,9% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
Butter
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29 | 35 | 41 | 39 | 30 | 25 | -16,9% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
Cheese
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429 | 421 | 460 | 460 | 340 | 347 | +2,1% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
Hard cheese ![]() |
43 | 33 | 37 | 38 | 27 | 29 | +6,8% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
Semi-hard cheese ![]() |
131 | 126 | 151 | 156 | 115 | 119 | +3,5% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
Soft cheese ![]() |
172 | 174 | 181 | 176 | 130 | 135 | +3,3% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
Processed cheese ![]() |
56 | 59 | 58 | 57 | 43 | 42 | -2,7% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) | 26 | 28 | 32 | 33 | 25 | 23 | -7,8% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
WMP (Whole milk powder)
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188 | 213 | 234 | 213 | 153 | 121 | -20,5% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
SMP (Skimmed milk powder)
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45 | 52 | 55 | 51 | 34 | 22 | -35,1% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
Cream | 59 | 61 | 61 | 66 | 47 | 46 | -2,6% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
Dulce de leche | 97 | 107 | 97 | 102 | 79 | 79 | +0,8% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) | 32 | 23 | 40 | 46 | 29 | 23 | -19,3% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
Dairy desserts and custards | 29 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 21 | 18 | -11,2% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
Yogurt | 354 | 356 | 332 | 352 | 252 | 250 | -1,0% | Jan-Sep 2023 | ||
EXPORT | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023 | % | Period | ||
Whey powder (HS 0404) | TOP importers | 42 | 32 | 40 | 38 | 31 | 32 | +2,7% | Jan-Oct 2023 | |
Butter (HS 0405) | TOP importers | 8,2 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 4,0 | -61,3% | Jan-Oct 2023 | |
Cheese (HS 0406) | TOP importers | 39 | 44 | 52 | 57 | 47 | 51 | +9,8% | Jan-Oct 2023 | |
SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210) | TOP importers | 14 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 13 | 14 | +4,6% | Jan-Oct 2023 | |
WMP (whole milk powder - HS 040221+040229) | TOP importers | 85 | 126 | 128 | 133 | 111 | 73 | -34,0% | Jan-Oct 2023 | |
Casein (HS 350110) | TOP importers | |||||||||
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) | TOP importers | 0,2 | 0,4 | 0,2 | 0,1 | 0,0 | 0,2 | +631,3% | Jan-Sep 2023 | |
IMPORT | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023 | % | Period | ||
Condensed milk (HS 040291+040299) | TOP exporters | 0,2 | 0,2 | 0,4 | 0,4 | 0,2 | 0,1 | -51,5% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Whey powder (HS 0404) | TOP exporters | 1,0 | 0,8 | 1,1 | 1,0 | 0,9 | 1,0 | +14,0% | Jan-Oct 2023 | |
Cheese (HS 0406) | TOP exporters | 2,2 | 1,1 | 2,8 | 4,6 | 4,0 | 2,4 | -39,2% | Jan-Oct 2023 | |
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) | TOP exporters | 1,4 | 1,6 | 2,0 | 1,8 | 1,5 | 0,8 | -50,8% | Jan-Oct 2023 | |
STOCK (at 31 December) | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023 | % | Period | ||
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) | 42,5 | 40,9 | 51,7 | 41,0 | 40,3 | 39,5 | -1,9% | Sep 2023 | ||
Butter
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4,4 | 4,6 | 4,1 | 5,2 | 5,3 | 3,2 | -40,2% | Sep 2023 | ||
Cheese
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47,4 | 47,8 | 49,7 | 49,9 | 45,9 | 54,8 | +19,3% | Sep 2023 | ||
Hard cheese ![]() |
16,1 | 13,6 | 14,2 | 15,5 | 12,5 | 18,3 | +46,4% | Sep 2023 | ||
Semi-hard cheese ![]() |
16,6 | 15,2 | 18,3 | 18,0 | 17,7 | 21,3 | +20,5% | Sep 2023 | ||
Soft cheese ![]() |
11,1 | 15,0 | 11,8 | 12,7 | 11,8 | 11,8 | +0,3% | Sep 2023 | ||
Processed cheese ![]() |
1,4 | 1,6 | 3,0 | 1,5 | 1,6 | 1,2 | -24,4% | Sep 2023 | ||
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) | 2,2 | 2,3 | 2,4 | 2,1 | 2,3 | 2,1 | -8,7% | Sep 2023 | ||
WMP (Whole milk powder)
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25,1 | 22,3 | 32,6 | 29,7 | 22,6 | 28,3 | +25,0% | Sep 2023 | ||
SMP (Skimmed milk powder)
![]() |
5,3 | 5,8 | 7,2 | 8,7 | 5,7 | 5,9 | +4,0% | Sep 2023 | ||
Cream | 1,7 | 1,5 | 2,0 | 2,4 | 2,2 | 1,9 | -14,6% | Sep 2023 | ||
Dulce de leche | 4,9 | 5,5 | 5,7 | 5,9 | 5,3 | 5,4 | +1,8% | Sep 2023 | ||
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) | 2,3 | 2,4 | 5,5 | 8,4 | 4,4 | 2,9 | -33,9% | Sep 2023 | ||
Dairy desserts and custards | 0,6 | 0,5 | 1,4 | 0,6 | 0,7 | 0,6 | -10,9% | Sep 2023 | ||
Yogurt | 7,4 | 7,0 | 6,7 | 8,6 | 8,5 | 6,6 | -23,0% | Sep 2023 | ||
DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION (Source: FAS-USDA) | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023(f) | % | Period | ||
Cheese | 461 | 420 | 457 | 435 | 435 | 443 | +1,8% | Jan-Dec 2023 | Butter | 19 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | -9,1% | Jan-Dec 2023 | SMP | 20 | 23 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 30 | +15,4% | Jan-Dec 2023 | WMP | 84 | 80 | 73 | 70 | 70 | 80 | +14,3% | Jan-Dec 2023 |
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTIONS (kg) | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023(f) | % | Period | ||
Cheese | 10,30 | 9,33 | 10,09 | 9,56 | ||||||
Butter | 0,42 | 0,31 | 0,22 | 0,24 | ||||||
SMP | 0,45 | 0,51 | 0,62 | 0,57 | ||||||
WMP | 1,88 | 1,78 | 1,61 | 1,54 | ||||||
% 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 | 45.510 | ||||||
GDP per capita (U.S. dollars) | 10.054 (e) | 8.572 (e) | 10.659 (e) | 12.187 (e) | ||||||
GDP per capita (€) * | 8.981(e) | 7.500(e) | 9.012(e) | 11.573(e) | ||||||
* 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: 2023-12-01