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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 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024 % Period
Number of dairy cows ('000) (Source: FAO) 1.547 1.527 1.563
Number of dairy cows ('000) (Source: Senasa) 1.587 1.562
Milk production (Mil Lt) 11.113 11.553 11.557 11.326 955 834 -12,6% Jan 2024
Milk delivery (Mil Lt) 10.329 10.739 10.743 10.528 899 785 -12,7% Jan 2024
% Delivery on production 93,0% 93,0% 93,0% 94,1%
Farm gate milk price (€ x 100 lt) 23,51 26,72 36,14 35,63 35,90 29,88 -16,8% Jan-Feb 2024
± % Over the same period of the previous year +13,7% +35,2% -1,4%
Corn price (Rosario) (€\Ton) 131,4 170,0 232,8 211,3 238,6 165,1 (p) -30,8% Jan-Mar 2024
Soybeans price (Rosario) (€\Ton) 225,6 286,5 406,0 409,9 414,6 285,1 (p) -31,2% Jan-Mar 2024
DAIRY PRODUCTION 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024 % Period
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) 1.254 1.199 1.168 1.152 94 77 -18,4% Jan 2024
Butter 35 41 39 34 3,0 2,5 -15,8% Jan 2024
Cheese 421 460 460 471 36 30 -15,2% Jan 2024
Hard cheese 33 37 38 42 3,1 1,6 -47,2% Jan 2024
Semi-hard cheese 126 151 156 161 13 12 -11,2% Jan 2024
Soft cheese 174 181 176 179 12 11 -11,4% Jan 2024
Processed cheese 59 58 57 59 4,5 3,6 -20,5% Jan 2024
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) 28 32 33 30 2,5 2,3 -6,0% Jan 2024
WMP (Whole milk powder) 213 234 213 180 19 14 -26,8% Jan 2024
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 52 55 51 31 3,9 2,4 -36,9% Jan 2024
Cream 61 61 66 63 4,5 4,7 +4,0% Jan 2024
Dulce de leche 107 97 102 104 5,4 5,7 +4,9% Jan 2024
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) 23 40 46 34 2,1 2,9 +35,9% Jan 2024
Dairy desserts and custards 27 27 27 24 2,0 0,8 -59,8% Jan 2024
Yogurt 356 332 352 345 37 25 -34,2% Jan 2024
EXPORT 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024 % Period
Whey powder (HS 0404) TOP importers 32 40 38 40 3,0 2,5 -15,3% Jan 2024
Butter (HS 0405) TOP importers 14 16 12 5,6 1,0 0,6 -42,7% Jan 2024
Cheese (HS 0406) TOP importers 44 52 57 64 4,7 6,5 +37,6% Jan 2024
SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210) TOP importers 14 11 16 17 1,0 2,4 +134,1% Jan 2024
WMP (whole milk powder - HS 040221+040229) TOP importers 126 128 133 96 9,4 12 +24,3% Jan 2024
Casein (HS 350110) TOP importers
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) TOP importers 0,4 0,2 0,1 0,3
IMPORT 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024 % Period
Condensed milk (HS 040291+040299) TOP exporters 0,2 0,4 0,4 0,1
Whey powder (HS 0404) TOP exporters 0,8 1,1 1,0 1,1 0,1 0,2 +67,5% Jan 2024
Cheese (HS 0406) TOP exporters 1,1 2,8 4,6 2,9 0,4 0,3 -36,2% Jan 2024
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) TOP exporters 1,6 2,0 1,8 0,8 0,1 0,0 -46,3% Jan 2024
STOCK (at 31 December) 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024 % Period
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) 40,9 51,7 41,0 37,1 39,5 31,2 -20,9% Jan 2024
Butter 4,6 4,1 5,2 4,1 4,8 4,1 -13,9% Jan 2024
Cheese 47,8 49,7 49,9 55,3 49,3 48,5 -1,6% Jan 2024
Hard cheese 13,6 14,2 15,5 18,5 15,4 17,1 +10,9% Jan 2024
Semi-hard cheese 15,2 18,3 18,0 20,2 18,6 17,6 -5,3% Jan 2024
Soft cheese 15,0 11,8 12,7 12,5 11,5 9,5 -17,6% Jan 2024
Processed cheese 1,6 3,0 1,5 2,1 1,8 2,2 +23,8% Jan 2024
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) 2,3 2,4 2,1 2,0 2,0 2,1 +5,6% Jan 2024
WMP (Whole milk powder) 22,3 32,6 29,7 31,5 31,9 28,8 -9,5% Jan 2024
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 5,8 7,2 8,7 5,9 9,4 5,2 -44,4% Jan 2024
Cream 1,5 2,0 2,4 1,5 2,0 1,5 -23,4% Jan 2024
Dulce de leche 5,5 5,7 5,9 5,3 4,7 4,6 -2,5% Jan 2024
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) 2,4 5,5 8,4 3,8 5,1 3,7 -27,5% Jan 2024
Dairy desserts and custards 0,5 1,4 0,6 1,9 0,6 1,7 +197,9% Jan 2024
Yogurt 7,0 6,7 8,6 13,3 7,4 11,0 +49,0% Jan 2024
DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION (Source: FAS-USDA) 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024(f) % Period
Cheese 420 457 435 440 440 395 -10,2% Jan-Dec 2024
Butter 14 10 11 14 14 12 -14,3% Jan-Dec 2024
SMP 23 28 26 15 15 20 +33,3% Jan-Dec 2024
WMP 80 73 70 80 80 75 -6,3% Jan-Dec 2024
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTIONS (kg) 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024(f) % Period
Cheese 9,33 10,09 9,56 9,61
Butter 0,31 0,22 0,24 0,31
SMP 0,51 0,62 0,57 0,33
WMP 1,78 1,61 1,54 1,75
% Self-sufficiency 115,7% 115,4% 116,6% 114,6%
SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDICATORS 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024(f) % Period
Population ('000) 45.036 45.277 45.510 45.774
GDP per capita (U.S. dollars) 8.572 (e) 10.632 (e) 13.620 (e) 13.297 (e)
GDP per capita (€) * 7.500(e) 8.989(e) 12.934(e) 12.298(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: 2024-03-13
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