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) | ||||||
* 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