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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;
  • 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 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025 % Period
Number of dairy cows ('000) (Source: FAO) 1.527 1.563 1.546
Number of dairy cows ('000) (Source: Senasa) 1.577 1.527 1.589 1.486
Milk production (Mil Lt) 11.553 11.557 11.326 10.590 3.726 4.161 +11,7% Jan-May 2025
Farm gate milk price (€ x 100 lt) 26,72 36,14 35,63 38,42 34,88 38,81 +11,3% Jan-May 2025
± % Over the same period of the previous year +35,2% -1,4% +7,8%
Corn price (Rosario) (€\Ton) 170,0 232,8 211,3 164,6 165,7 176,6 (p) +6,6% Jan-Jun 2025
Soybeans price (Rosario) (€\Ton) 286,5 406,0 409,9 282,4 284,0 263,5 (p) -7,2% Jan-Jun 2025
DAIRY PRODUCTION 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025 % Period
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) 1.199 1.168 1.168 1.092 306 341 +11,4% Jan-Apr 2025
Butter 41 39 35 32 8,4 9,5 +14,3% Jan-Apr 2025
Cheese 460 460 477 461 139 149 +7,4% Jan-Apr 2025
Hard cheese 37 38 45 40 12 12 -5,6% Jan-Apr 2025
Semi-hard cheese 151 156 162 163 48 52 +10,2% Jan-Apr 2025
Soft cheese 181 176 181 187 56 61 +8,1% Jan-Apr 2025
Processed cheese 58 57 60 43 13 15 +16,7% Jan-Apr 2025
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) 32 33 31 27 9,9 9,3 -5,7% Jan-Apr 2025
WMP (Whole milk powder) 234 213 185 173 37 37 -0,3% Jan-Apr 2025
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 55 51 33 36 12 15 +17,2% Jan-Apr 2025
Cream 61 66 63 61 18 21 +18,2% Jan-Apr 2025
Dulce de leche 97 102 105 97 30 33 +11,5% Jan-Apr 2025
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) 40 46 34 27 9,2 9,9 +8,2% Jan-Apr 2025
Dairy desserts and custards 27 27 24 11 2,5 4,2 +63,9% Jan-Apr 2025
Yogurt 332 352 345 310 101 125 +23,2% Jan-Apr 2025
EXPORT 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025 % Period
Whey powder (HS 0404) TOP importers 40 38 40 45 13 17 +26,1% Jan-Apr 2025
Butter (HS 0405) TOP importers 16 12 5,6 4,3 1,7 0,9 -49,8% Jan-Feb 2025
Cheese (HS 0406) TOP importers 52 57 64 78 24 22 -5,7% Jan-Apr 2025
SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210) TOP importers 11 16 17 17 7,1 6,3 -11,2% Jan-Apr 2025
WMP (whole milk powder - HS 040221+040229) TOP importers 128 133 96 112 45 30 -33,3% Jan-Apr 2025
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) TOP importers 0,2 0,1 0,3 0,2
Dulce de Leche (HS 19019020) TOP importers 2,9 2,3 2,8 3,2 0,9 0,8 -4,2% Jan-Apr 2025
IMPORT 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025 % Period
Condensed milk (HS 040291+040299) TOP exporters 0,4 0,4 0,1 0,3 0,0 0,1 0,0% Jan-Feb 2025
Whey powder (HS 0404) TOP exporters 1,1 1,0 1,1 1,5 0,5 0,8 +51,6% Jan-Apr 2025
Cheese (HS 0406) TOP exporters 2,8 4,6 2,9 1,3 0,6 0,6 +4,7% Jan-Apr 2025
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) TOP exporters 2,0 1,8 0,8 0,2 0,1 0,1 +24,7% Jan-Apr 2025
STOCK (at 31 December) 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025 % Period
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) 51,7 41,0 37,1 51,9 25,4 36,8 +44,6% Apr 2025
Butter 4,1 5,2 4,1 2,6 2,7 2,1 -21,2% Apr 2025
Cheese 49,7 49,9 55,3 54,7 48,8 50,3 +3,2% Apr 2025
Hard cheese 14,2 15,5 18,5 20,2 17,3 18,1 +4,5% Apr 2025
Semi-hard cheese 18,3 18,0 20,2 19,2 16,6 18,5 +11,6% Apr 2025
Soft cheese 11,8 12,7 12,5 12,0 11,2 10,3 -7,8% Apr 2025
Processed cheese 3,0 1,5 2,1 1,5 1,4 1,4 -1,5% Apr 2025
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) 2,4 2,1 2,0 1,8 2,2 2,0 -11,4% Apr 2025
WMP (Whole milk powder) 32,6 29,7 31,5 25,8 11,9 13,6 +14,5% Apr 2025
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 7,2 8,7 5,9 4,2 6,0 3,5 -41,7% Apr 2025
Cream 2,0 2,4 1,5 2,0 1,4 2,1 +47,1% Apr 2025
Dulce de leche 5,7 5,9 5,3 5,4 5,0 5,9 +17,4% Apr 2025
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) 5,5 8,4 3,8 3,7 2,1 2,8 +38,5% Apr 2025
Dairy desserts and custards 1,4 0,6 1,9 0,5 0,4 0,5 +33,6% Apr 2025
Yogurt 6,7 8,6 13,3 9,8 6,0 7,9 +31,7% Apr 2025
DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION (Source: FAS-USDA) 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025(f) % Period
Cheese 457 435 440 365 365 390 +6,8% Jan-Dec 2025
Butter 10 11 13 10 10 12 +20,0% Jan-Dec 2025
SMP 28 26 25 18 18 20 +11,1% Jan-Dec 2025
WMP 73 70 75 65 65 70 +7,7% Jan-Dec 2025
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTIONS (kg) 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025(f) % Period
Cheese 10,09 9,58 9,66  
Butter 0,22 0,24 0,29  
SMP 0,62 0,57 0,55  
WMP 1,61 1,54 1,65  
% Self-sufficiency 115,4% 116,6% 114,7% 119,3%
SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDICATORS 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025(f) % Period
Population ('000) 45.312 45.408 45.538
GDP per capita (U.S. dollars) 10.617 (e) 13.655 (e) 13.710 (e)
GDP per capita (€) * 8.977(e) 12.967(e) 12.679(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);
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".
Export and Import: IHS
Consumption: FAS-USDA
GDP per capita: International Monetary Found
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: 2025-06-17
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