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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 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 29 35 41 39 30 25 -16,9% Jan-Sep 2023
Cheese 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) 188 213 234 213 153 121 -20,5% Jan-Sep 2023
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 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 4,4 4,6 4,1 5,2 5,3 3,2 -40,2% Sep 2023
Cheese 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) 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)
(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: 2023-12-01
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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