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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 2.583 2.224 -13,9% Jan-Mar 2024
Milk delivery (Mil Lt) 10.329 10.739 10.743 10.528 2.416 2.081 -13,9% Jan-Mar 2024
% Delivery on production 93,0% 93,0% 93,0% 93,6%
Farm gate milk price (€ x 100 lt) 23,51 26,72 36,14 35,63 36,45 31,88 -12,5% Jan-Mar 2024
± % Over the same period of the previous year +13,7% +35,2% -1,4%
Corn price (Rosario) (€\Ton) 131,4 170,0 232,8 211,3 232,9 164,6 (p) -29,3% Jan-Apr 2024
Soybeans price (Rosario) (€\Ton) 225,6 286,5 406,0 409,9 416,8 281,4 (p) -32,5% Jan-Apr 2024
DAIRY PRODUCTION 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024 % Period
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) 1.254 1.199 1.168 1.152 276 225 -18,7% Jan-Mar 2024
Butter 35 41 39 34 7,4 6,0 -18,7% Jan-Mar 2024
Cheese 421 460 460 471 107 104 -3,5% Jan-Mar 2024
Hard cheese 33 37 38 42 9,6 9,8 +1,7% Jan-Mar 2024
Semi-hard cheese 126 151 156 161 36 36 +0,6% Jan-Mar 2024
Soft cheese 174 181 176 179 41 41 -0,9% Jan-Mar 2024
Processed cheese 59 58 57 59 13 9,7 -27,0% Jan-Mar 2024
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) 28 32 33 30 8,0 7,7 -2,7% Jan-Mar 2024
WMP (Whole milk powder) 213 234 213 180 35 30 -13,0% Jan-Mar 2024
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 52 55 51 31 7,9 7,6 -3,9% Jan-Mar 2024
Cream 61 61 66 63 14 13 -5,0% Jan-Mar 2024
Dulce de leche 107 97 102 104 22 21 -5,6% Jan-Mar 2024
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) 23 40 46 34 10 8,6 -15,5% Jan-Mar 2024
Dairy desserts and custards 27 27 27 24 6,2 1,6 -73,5% Jan-Mar 2024
Yogurt 356 332 352 345 113 82 -27,8% Jan-Mar 2024
EXPORT 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024 % Period
Whey powder (HS 0404) TOP importers 32 40 38 40 9,7 9,5 -2,4% Jan-Mar 2024
Butter (HS 0405) TOP importers 14 16 12 5,6 2,6 1,7 -35,4% Jan-Mar 2024
Cheese (HS 0406) TOP importers 44 52 57 64 15 18 +17,7% Jan-Mar 2024
SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210) TOP importers 14 11 16 17 5,0 5,7 +13,8% Jan-Mar 2024
WMP (whole milk powder - HS 040221+040229) TOP importers 126 128 133 96 25 36 +41,8% Jan-Mar 2024
Casein (HS 350110) TOP importers
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) TOP importers 0,4 0,2 0,1 0,3 0,0 0,1 0,0% Jan-Mar 2024
IMPORT 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024 % Period
Condensed milk (HS 040291+040299) TOP exporters 0,2 0,4 0,4 0,1 0,0 0,0 -0,2% Jan-Mar 2024
Whey powder (HS 0404) TOP exporters 0,8 1,1 1,0 1,1 0,3 0,4 +30,8% Jan-Mar 2024
Cheese (HS 0406) TOP exporters 1,1 2,8 4,6 2,9 1,1 0,5 -53,0% Jan-Mar 2024
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) TOP exporters 1,6 2,0 1,8 0,8 0,2 0,1 -66,1% Jan-Mar 2024
STOCK (at 31 December) 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024 % Period
Liquid milk (Mil Lt) 40,9 51,7 41,0 37,1 38,4 25,1 -34,8% Feb 2024
Butter 4,6 4,1 5,2 4,1 3,7 3,6 -4,1% Feb 2024
Cheese 47,8 49,7 49,9 55,3 47,5 47,1 -1,0% Feb 2024
Hard cheese 13,6 14,2 15,5 18,5 15,5 17,5 +12,8% Feb 2024
Semi-hard cheese 15,2 18,3 18,0 20,2 17,5 16,5 -5,5% Feb 2024
Soft cheese 15,0 11,8 12,7 12,5 11,1 9,5 -15,2% Feb 2024
Processed cheese 1,6 3,0 1,5 2,1 1,6 1,6 -2,3% Feb 2024
Other cheeses (grated, powdered, melted, etc.) 2,3 2,4 2,1 2,0 1,8 2,1 +12,1% Feb 2024
WMP (Whole milk powder) 22,3 32,6 29,7 31,5 26,1 21,1 -19,0% Feb 2024
SMP (Skimmed milk powder) 5,8 7,2 8,7 5,9 8,9 4,9 -44,8% Feb 2024
Cream 1,5 2,0 2,4 1,5 2,1 1,5 -28,9% Feb 2024
Dulce de leche 5,5 5,7 5,9 5,3 4,8 4,0 -16,0% Feb 2024
Milk chocolate (Mil Lt) 2,4 5,5 8,4 3,8 4,7 3,7 -21,3% Feb 2024
Dairy desserts and custards 0,5 1,4 0,6 1,9 0,6 0,7 +24,6% Feb 2024
Yogurt 7,0 6,7 8,6 13,3 7,8 9,3 +18,2% Feb 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: 2024-04-24
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