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
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41 | 39 | 35 | 32 | 4,7 | 4,3 | -8,7% | Jan-Feb 2025 | ||
Cheese
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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)
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234 | 213 | 185 | 173 | 22 | 20 | -9,5% | Jan-Feb 2025 | ||
SMP (Skimmed milk powder)
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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
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4,1 | 5,2 | 4,1 | 2,6 | 3,6 | 31,9 | +790,5% | Feb 2025 | ||
Cheese
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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)
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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) | |||||||
* 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