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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 1.520 1.623 +6,8% Jan-Feb 2025
Farm gate milk price (€ x 100 lt) 26,72 36,14 35,63 38,42 31,88 40,38 +26,6% Jan-Mar 2025
± % Over the same period of the previous year +35,2% -1,4% +7,8%
Corn price (Rosario) (€\Ton) 170,0 232,8 211,3 164,6 164,8 186,9 (p) +13,4% Jan-Apr 2025
Soybeans price (Rosario) (€\Ton) 286,5 406,0 409,9 282,4 281,4 278,7 (p) -1,0% Jan-Apr 2025
DAIRY PRODUCTION 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025 % Period
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) 1.199 1.168 1.168 1.092 145 161 +10,9% Jan-Feb 2025
Butter 41 39 35 32 4,7 4,3 -8,7% Jan-Feb 2025
Cheese 460 460 477 461 63 72 +13,9% Jan-Feb 2025
Hard cheese 37 38 45 40 4,7 6,3 +33,6% Jan-Feb 2025
Semi-hard cheese 151 156 162 163 24 26 +9,1% Jan-Feb 2025
Soft cheese 181 176 181 187 24 28 +14,9% Jan-Feb 2025
Processed cheese 58 57 60 43 6,4 7,7 +20,1% Jan-Feb 2025
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) 32 33 31 27 4,2 4,3 +3,2% Jan-Feb 2025
WMP (Whole milk powder) 234 213 185 173 22 20 -9,5% Jan-Feb 2025
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 55 51 33 36 5,2 8,0 +52,4% Jan-Feb 2025
Cream 61 66 63 61 8,5 9,7 +13,1% Jan-Feb 2025
Dulce de leche 97 102 105 97 12 15 +26,7% Jan-Feb 2025
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) 40 46 34 27 5,6 5,1 -9,1% Jan-Feb 2025
Dairy desserts and custards 27 27 24 11 1,0 1,9 +98,4% Jan-Feb 2025
Yogurt 332 352 345 310 52 71 +36,5% Jan-Feb 2025
EXPORT 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025 % Period
Whey powder (HS 0404) TOP importers 40 38 40 45 0,0 8,9 0,0% Jan-Feb 2025
Butter (HS 0405) TOP importers 16 12 5,6 4,0 0,0 0,9 0,0% Jan-Feb 2025
Cheese (HS 0406) TOP importers 52 57 64 78 0,0 12 0,0% Jan-Feb 2025
SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210) TOP importers 11 16 17 17 0,0 2,8 0,0% Jan-Feb 2025
WMP (whole milk powder - HS 040221+040229) TOP importers 128 133 96 112 0,0 16 0,0% Jan-Feb 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 2,7
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 0,0 0,4 0,0% Jan-Feb 2025
Cheese (HS 0406) TOP exporters 2,8 4,6 2,9 1,3 0,0 0,4 0,0% Jan-Feb 2025
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) TOP exporters 2,0 1,8 0,8 0,2 0,0 0,1 0,0% Jan-Feb 2025
STOCK (at 31 December) 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025 % Period
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) 51,7 41,0 37,1 51,9 25,1 37,8 +50,6% Feb 2025
Butter 4,1 5,2 4,1 2,6 3,6 31,9 +790,5% Feb 2025
Cheese 49,7 49,9 55,3 54,7 47,1 50,4 +7,0% Feb 2025
Hard cheese 14,2 15,5 18,5 20,2 17,5 19,6 +11,8% Feb 2025
Semi-hard cheese 18,3 18,0 20,2 19,2 16,5 18,0 +8,9% Feb 2025
Soft cheese 11,8 12,7 12,5 12,0 9,5 9,3 -1,1% Feb 2025
Processed cheese 3,0 1,5 2,1 1,5 1,6 1,6 +3,7% Feb 2025
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) 2,4 2,1 2,0 1,8 2,1 1,9 -10,5% Feb 2025
WMP (Whole milk powder) 32,6 29,7 31,5 25,8 21,1 20,2 -4,3% Feb 2025
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 7,2 8,7 5,9 4,2 4,9 3,8 -22,2% Feb 2025
Cream 2,0 2,4 1,5 2,0 1,5 1,7 +15,9% Feb 2025
Dulce de leche 5,7 5,9 5,3 5,4 4,0 5,8 +46,1% Feb 2025
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) 5,5 8,4 3,8 3,7 3,7 2,6 -30,5% Feb 2025
Dairy desserts and custards 1,4 0,6 1,9 0,5 0,7 0,4 -40,3% Feb 2025
Yogurt 6,7 8,6 13,3 9,8 9,3 8,9 -4,3% Feb 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% 114,6% 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: 2025-04-18
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