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
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29 | 35 | 41 | 39 | ||||||
Cheese
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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)
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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
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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)
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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) | |||||||
* 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