Prices

Winter is in full swing, but agricultural enterprises practically do not reduce milk production.

In any case, such conclusions can be made according to statistics. But the production of milk in households is decreasing significantly. In general, despite the winter, milk is enough for everyone. But, probably, this is only because abroad there is an excess of raw materials and demand for Ukrainian products is low.

Very briefly, the current situation in the industry can be estimated as follows: the situation in the domestic market of dairy products is stable, agricultural enterprises still feel confident.

By mid-December, the commodity market in Ukraine has finally stabilized. At the beginning of the month, there were dotted price reviews, however, they mostly focused on the lower part of the price range of agricultural enterprises. Household prices practically did not change. In addition, the market has a tendency to lower prices: presses supply of free volumes of raw materials from the secondary market.

Milk production in Ukraine last year was lower than in 2017 by 1.9% due to negative dynamics in households (-2.4%). In absolute figures, milk production during the reporting period is 9.46 million tons. The share of the population is 73%, farms are 27%.

Since January 1, new standards for the quality of milk began to operate

From January 1, 2019, the DSTU 3662: 2018 "Milk-raw cow's milk. Specifications" comes into force. The new standard contains the characterization and specifications for the purchase and acceptance of cow's milk.

At the same time, from January 1, 2019, the national normative document DSTU 3662-97 "Cow's whole milk. Requirements for the purchase" will be cancelled in terms of requirements for milk of extra, higher and first grades.

In general, this standard implies that all milk, depending on the level of bacterial contamination and the content of somatic cells, is divided into extra, higher, first and second grades. In part of the same requirements for milk of the second-grade national normative document DSTU 3662-97 "Cow's whole milk. Requirements for the purchase" will be lifted only from January 1, 2020. But from that date, a two-year transitional period will be established during which the 2nd-grade milk will be accepted, but exclusively for technical purposes (animal feed, casein, etc.).

Summarizing the foregoing, we note the following. From January 1, 2019, the requirements for the quality of extra, higher and first grades milk change! Requirements for milk of the 2nd grade remain unchanged*. The peasants and all those who produce milk of the 2nd grade will be able to safely transfer it to enterprises until January 1, 2020.