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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 2018 2019 2020 2021 2021 2022 % Period
Number of dairy cows ('000) (Source: FAO) 1.596 1.615 1.644
Number of dairy cows ('000) (Source: Senasa) 1.726 1.623 1.587
Milk production (Mil Lt) 10.527 10.343 11.113 11.553 9.429 9.482 +0,6% Jan-Oct 2022
Milk delivery (Mil Lt) 9.785 9.614 10.329 10.739 8.770 8.818 +0,6% Jan-Oct 2022
% Delivery on production 92,9% 92,9% 93,0% 93,0%
Farm gate milk price (€ x 100 lt) 22,11 26,50 23,51 26,72 26,14 36,00 +37,7% Jan-Oct 2022
± % Over the same period of the previous year +19,9% -11,3% +13,7%
Corn price (Rosario) (€\Ton) 131,3 125,2 131,4 170,0 168,0 233,0 (p) +38,7% Jan-Nov 2022
Soybeans price (Rosario) (€\Ton) 231,7 209,3 225,6 286,5 283,6 392,7 (p) +38,4% Jan-Nov 2022
DAIRY PRODUCTION 2018 2019 2020 2021 2021 2022 % Period
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) 1.323 1.212 1.254 1.199 804 764 -5,0% Jan-Aug 2022
Butter 29 29 35 41 26 25 -2,8% Jan-Aug 2022
Cheese 444 429 421 460 304 298 -2,0% Jan-Aug 2022
Hard cheese 39 43 33 37 25 36 +41,2% Jan-Aug 2022
Semi-hard cheese 141 131 126 151 96 99 +2,9% Jan-Aug 2022
Soft cheese 174 172 174 181 123 115 -6,7% Jan-Aug 2022
Processed cheese 60 56 59 58 39 38 -2,2% Jan-Aug 2022
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) 31 26 28 32 21 22 +6,7% Jan-Aug 2022
WMP (Whole milk powder) 192 188 213 234 147 131 -11,1% Jan-Aug 2022
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 41 45 52 55 30 29 -5,0% Jan-Aug 2022
Cream 63 59 61 61 39 41 +7,1% Jan-Aug 2022
Dulce de leche 101 97 107 97 67 71 +5,6% Jan-Aug 2022
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) 46 32 23 40 20 26 +29,6% Jan-Aug 2022
Dairy desserts and custards 41 29 27 27 17 18 +5,7% Jan-Aug 2022
Yogurt 394 354 356 332 208 223 +6,8% Jan-Aug 2022
EXPORT 2018 2019 2020 2021 2021 2022 % Period
Whey powder (HS 0404) TOP importers 46 42 32 40 33 31 -6,6% Jan-Oct 2022
Butter (HS 0405) TOP importers 3,9 8,2 14 16 12 10 -12,8% Jan-Oct 2022
Cheese (HS 0406) TOP importers 43 39 44 52 44 47 +6,9% Jan-Oct 2022
SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210) TOP importers 16 14 14 11 9,1 13 +42,2% Jan-Oct 2022
WMP (whole milk powder - HS 040221+040229) TOP importers 118 85 126 128 101 111 +10,0% Jan-Oct 2022
Casein (HS 350110) TOP importers 0,1
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) TOP importers 2,7 0,2 0,4 0,2 0,1 0,0 -80,5% Jan-Jun 2022
IMPORT 2018 2019 2020 2021 2021 2022 % Period
Condensed milk (HS 040291+040299) TOP exporters 0,9 0,2 0,2 0,4 0,4 0,2 -35,3% Jan-Oct 2022
Whey powder (HS 0404) TOP exporters 1,0 1,0 0,8 1,1 0,9 0,9 +5,8% Jan-Oct 2022
Cheese (HS 0406) TOP exporters 3,7 2,2 1,1 2,8 2,1 4,0 +93,3% Jan-Oct 2022
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) TOP exporters 1,4 1,4 1,6 2,0 1,6 1,5 -4,6% Jan-Oct 2022
STOCK (at 31 December) 2018 2019 2020 2021 2021 2022 % Period
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) 28,4 42,5 40,9 51,7 45,8 39,3 -14,2% Aug 2022
Butter 3,6 4,4 4,6 4,1 3,2 4,6 +43,5% Aug 2022
Cheese 44,2 47,4 47,8 49,7 44,0 45,0 +2,2% Aug 2022
Hard cheese 16,6 16,1 13,6 14,2 12,7 12,6 -1,0% Aug 2022
Semi-hard cheese 15,3 16,6 15,2 18,3 16,3 16,9 +3,2% Aug 2022
Soft cheese 8,6 11,1 15,0 11,8 11,3 11,5 +2,1% Aug 2022
Processed cheese 1,5 1,4 1,6 3,0 1,6 1,6 -1,7% Aug 2022
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) 2,3 2,2 2,3 2,4 2,1 2,4 +15,8% Aug 2022
WMP (Whole milk powder) 20,5 25,1 22,3 32,6 23,9 19,4 -18,8% Aug 2022
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 4,4 5,3 5,8 7,2 5,1 4,6 -11,3% Aug 2022
Cream 1,5 1,7 1,5 2,0 2,0 2,3 +14,7% Aug 2022
Dulce de leche 5,0 4,9 5,5 5,7 6,0 6,3 +4,8% Aug 2022
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) 2,1 2,3 2,4 5,5 2,8 4,3 +54,8% Aug 2022
Dairy desserts and custards 0,7 0,6 0,5 1,4 0,6 0,7 +18,9% Aug 2022
Yogurt 6,4 7,4 7,0 6,7 6,3 6,8 +7,6% Aug 2022
DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION (Source: FAS-USDA) 2018 2019 2020 2021 2021 2022(f) % Period
Cheese 380 461 420 457 457 435 -4,8% Jan-Dec 2022
Butter 21 19 14 10 10 9,0 -10,0% Jan-Dec 2022
SMP 24 20 23 28 28 30 +7,1% Jan-Dec 2022
WMP 75 84 80 73 73 70 -4,1% Jan-Dec 2022
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTIONS (kg) 2018 2019 2020 2021 2021 2022(f) % Period
Cheese 8,57 10,29 9,29 10,02
Butter 0,47 0,42 0,31 0,22
SMP 0,54 0,45 0,51 0,61
WMP 1,69 1,88 1,77 1,60
% Self-sufficiency 115,5% 112,0% 115,7% 115,4%
SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDICATORS 2018 2019 2020 2021 2021 2022(f) % Period
Population ('000) 44.361 44.781 45.196 45.606
GDP per capita (U.S. dollars) 11.786 (e) 10.054 (e) 8.572 (e) 10.659 (e)
GDP per capita (€) * 9.980(e) 8.981(e) 7.500(e) 9.012(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: 2022-11-24
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