Popular meat may become a luxury: expert predicts sharp price increase
9 October 14:18
Ukraine’s pork market is experiencing a significant rise in prices, driven by a decline in domestic livestock. Since the beginning of the year, pork prices have risen by 34%, and by 60% year-on-year.
This was reported by UCAB analyst Maksym Hopka for UNIAN, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
This price rally is due to a reduction in the number of pigs to 4.5 million in winter, mainly in households.
The shortage of supply in the domestic market has stimulated an active growth in purchase prices. In September, the live weight of bacon pigs cost 98-100 UAH/kg.
To cover this deficit, Ukraine has sharply increased imports:
- August 2025: 4.6 thousand tons of meat were imported, which is 48% more than in July.
- Total imports: In the first eight months of this year, imports amounted to 14.9 thousand tons, which is 7.8 times more than in the same period last year and the highest figure since 2022.
The analyst predicts that by the end of the year, imports may reach at least 25 thousand tons. At the same time, the decline in the cost of cuttings in the EU countries makes their markets attractive for Ukrainian purchases, turning imports into an important alternative source of raw materials.
Maksym Hopka believes that imports can only be reduced by gradually increasing the number of pigs.
According to the State Statistics Service, as of September 1, 2025, there were 4.8 million pigs in Ukraine, which is 5% less than last year. Although the number of pigs has increased by 330,000 since the beginning of the year, supply on the market is still limited. The recovery is taking place mainly in the enterprise sector, which now accounts for 65% of the livestock.
Meanwhile, at the Capital Market in Kyiv, pork prices have generally remained stable over the past two weeks. For example, the tenderloin costs 330 UAH/kg, the rib 230 UAH/kg, and the pork neck even fell by 20 UAH to 350 UAH/kg.
