Market of plant-based dairy alternatives in Ukraine
The market of vegetable milk develops quite fast, in Ukraine it is mostly fueled by the information about the harm of cow milk. Despite the insufficient proof of such data, it affects a large part of the customers.
Plant-based dairy alternatives (vegetable milk) is a water-based emulsion of extracts from nuts, cereals, seeds and seedlings of some crops. It is positioned as a substitute for natural milk of animal origin for vegans, people with lactose intolerance and those who follow healthy eating habits. The market of vegetable milk develops quite fast, in Ukraine it is mostly fueled by the information about the harm of cow milk. Despite the insufficient proof of such data, it affects a large part of the customers.
Thus, according to the survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology and UA Plant-Based, more than 65% of Ukrainians are ready to switch to the diet based only on the products of plant origin. Among the consumers of vegetable milk are also those who want to diversify their diet. However, the disadvantages of vegetable milk include the fact that it contains gluten and is not suitable for those who are affected by allergies to nuts. Therefore, the most common on the market of vegetable milk in Ukraine is soy and oat products, which contain the least allergens.
The market of vegetable milk in Ukraine started its development after introduction of the corresponding consumption trends from the USA and Great Britain. The increasing demand for vegetable milk was registered in 2017, and in 2018 the first domestic producer launched the Ukrainian product. Monitoring of the vegetable milk market in Ukraine shows that a sharp increase in its production took place in 2020, after the development of this production line by Vitmark Ukraine.
Other major trends in the vegetable milk market in Ukraine include:
- no exports of this type of product under consideration during the study period;
Oat milk has surpassed soy in popularity, which corresponds to the segmentation of the world market of vegetable milk, in which oat is the second largest share after almond.
According to conducted analysis the following most essential factors have influence on of the market of vegetable milk in Ukraine:
- demographic indicators of our country;
- the number of consumers who do not consume animal products and lactose intolerance;
- yield of raw crops and price conditions.
The development of the vegetable milk market in Ukraine is constrained by its higher price compared to traditional cow's milk.
Consumer analysis of the vegetable milk market in Ukraine shows that the most numerous groups of buyers of this product are people:
- suffering from lactose intolerance;
- vegans, vegetarians, raw food eaters;
- those who strictly adhere to the restrictions of religious fasts;
- who are on a diet for medical reasons;
- wishing to use products without antibiotics and hormones used in animal husbandry;
- who follow fashion trends in nutrition, in particular targeting at weight loss.
The most capacious sales channels for vegetable milk market products in Ukraine are supermarkets and online stores. Sales through restaurants and cafes are developing dynamically, which is due to the growing demand from their visitors.
The market of vegetable replacers market in Ukraine was studied by Pro-Consulting in May 2021. Market research includes its main indicators, the dynamics of their change, the distribution of shares of producers and importers, the characteristics of the consumer audience, the main factors of influence and development trends inherent in this area of business. Ready-made analysis of the vegetable milk market in Ukraine is available on the company's website.
