It is quite possible that the plants specializing in the production of cheese products and affected by the ban will try to try to switch to production of real cheeses, which could result in a collapse in prices for the latter.

In the meantime, cheese prices remain quite high. At the end of January, the leading manufacturers were selling «popular» cheeses directly to distributors at 150−160 UAH/°kg. Until recently, prices for cheese products were quite high (usually 2300 — 2400 USD/t). To Belarus they were sold cheaper, but now there are no sales. This means that former exporters to Belarus will try to sell the stocks to Kazakhstan cheaply, and thereby collapse the market.

The problems with export of cheese products are leading to a decrease in their production, although as early as last month about 5,400 tons of this product was released in Ukraine. About 7,000 tons of real rennet cheese was produced. In February production of cheese products will be even less.

It should be noted that as early as last year, production of semi-hard cheese products in Ukraine decreased by about 12%, while production of real hard/semi-hard cheese increased by 3%, to about 67 thousand tons. So, until recently production of cheese products Ukraine prevailed, but it may turn out that this year the situation will change in favor of production of real cheese.

infagro