Export of milk products from Poland

Export value of milk products

The year 2021 saw the highest growth rate in revenues from the export of milk products obtained by the domestic dairy industry since 2017. In 2021, the export value of milk products from Poland amounted to EUR 2.6 billion (PLN 12.0 billion) and was by 13% higher than in 2020. The revenues from the export of this product range accounted for 7% of the share in the value of the Polish agri-food export. Since the beginning of 2022, a further dynamic increase in the export of milk products from Poland has been recorded. In the period of January-February 2022, the revenues obtained from the export of milk products amounted to EUR 471 million (PLN 2.2 billion) and were by 25% higher than in the comparable period of 2021.

Geographical structure of export of milk products

The main export destination for milk products from Poland were the EU-27 countries. In 2021, the share of the EU countries in the export value amounted to nearly 66%, and the revenues obtained from the export increased by 19%, to EUR 1.7 billion. The major customers of milk products in the EU market were

• Germany (EUR 503 million – 19% of the value),
• the Czech Republic (EUR 181 million – 7%),
• Italy (EUR 133 million – 5%) and
• the Netherlands (EUR 131 million – 5%).

The share of non-EU countries (non-CIS countries) in the export of milk products was 29%. The revenues from the export reached EUR 753 million, by 4% more than in 2020. The largest share in the Polish export was that of:

• the United Kingdom (5% of the export value – EUR 130 million),
• China (nearly 5% – EUR 118 million) and
• Algeria (4% – EUR 103 million), as well as
• Saudi Arabia (2% – EUR 50 million).

The share of sales of milk products to the CIS countries in 2021 was 5%. The total value of products exported to the CIS was at the level of EUR 142 million, by 1% higher than in 2020. In 2021, milk products were exported mainly to Ukraine (EUR 123 million).

In the period of January-February 2022, the sale of milk products to the European Union countries accounted for 71% of export revenues (EUR 334.7 million, an increase by 48%). The major customers of milk products in the EU market were:

• Germany (22% of the value – EUR 101 million),
• the Netherlands (7% – EUR 34 million),
• the Czech Republic (6% – EUR 27 million),
• Italy (4% – EUR 21 million) and
• Romania (4% – EUR 19 million).

The export to non-EU countries (non-CIS) in the first two months of 2022 generated the revenues of EUR 115.2 million, by 13% lower than the year before. The share of these countries in the export value of milk products from Poland amounted to 24%. Non-EU customers were, inter alia,

• the United Kingdom (5% of export value, EUR 21 million),
• Algeria (3%, EUR 15 million),
• China (3%, EUR 14 million) and
• Saudi Arabia (2%, EUR 8 million).

The share of the CIS countries in the export of milk products in the period of January-February 2022 reached 5%. The total value of exported products increased by 20% to EUR 21.5 million. Milk products were mainly exported to Ukraine (EUR 20 million).

Export value of cheese and cottage cheese

In the product structure of export of milk products, cheese and cottage cheese have been in the dominant position (share of 35%) for many years. In 2021, the export value of this commodity group amounted to EUR 924 million and was by 12% higher than in 2020. From the beginning of 2022, an upward trend in the export value of this product range has been continued. In the period of January-February 2022, the foreign sales of cheese and cottage cheese reached the level of EUR 155 million, by 11% higher than in the comparable period of 2021. The main destination of sale of cheese and cottage cheese in 2021 were the EU-27 countries, with the share of 67% in the export value (EUR 617 million), mainly

• Germany (EUR 98 million – share of 11% in the export value of this commodity group) and
• the Czech Republic (EUR 95 million – 10%), as well as
• Italy (EUR 79 million – 9%),
• Slovakia (EUR 53 million – 6%) and
• Romania (EUR 50 million – 5%).

Cheese and cottage cheese were sent outside the EU customs territory, inter alia, to:

• Ukraine (EUR 97 million – share of 11%), to
• the United Kingdom (EUR 63 million – 7%) and
• Saudi Arabia (EUR 33 million – 4%).

In the period of January-February 2022, cheese and cottage cheese were exported mainly to the EU countries (share of 68% in the export value – EUR 105 million), mainly to

• the Czech Republic (11% of the value – EUR 17 million),
• Germany (10% – EUR 16 million),
• Italy (7% – EUR 10 million) and
• Slovakia (6% – EUR 9.5 million) and
• Romania ( 6% and EUR 9 million).

In the first two months of 2022, Polish cheese and cottage cheese were bought outside the European Union mainly in Ukraine (10% of the export value – EUR 16 million), Great Britain (6% – EUR 10 million) and Saudi Arabia (4% – EUR 6.5 million).

Export volume of milk products from Poland

In 2021, the export volume of ice cream increased significantly – by 17%, to 112 thousand tonnes. The export of yoghurts and fermented beverages was by 12% higher than in 2020 and amounted to 115 thousand tonnes. An increase was also recorded in the export of cheese and cottage cheese (by 8%, to 287 thousand tonnes). The export of this product group was still dominated by ripened rennet cheese, sold in the quantity of 174 thousand tonnes, by 5.5% more year-to-year. The export of non-ripened cheese was by 13% higher than in 2020 and amounted to 113 thousand tonnes. The export of casein also increased – by 5% to 2,6 thousand tonnes. The export volume of liquid milk and cream also increased to 876 thousand tonnes (by 4%). The quantity of exported whey was 233 thousand tonnes, by 3% more than in 2020. At the same time, in 2021, the export of whole milk powder decreased by 25% to 20 thousand tonnes. The export volume of butter and milk fats amounted to 49 thousand tonnes and was lower by 16%. The country exported 108 thousand tonnes of skimmed milk powder, by more than 1% less than the year before. In the period of January-February 2022, the largest increase was recorded in the export of yoghurts and fermented beverages (by 19.5%, to 21 thousand tonnes), butter and milk fats (by 14%, to 10 thousand tonnes), non-ripened cheese (by 8%, to 18 thousand tonnes) and skimmed milk powder (by 7%, to 18 thousand tonnes). At the same time, during the first two months of 2022, there was a significant decrease in the export volume of whole milk powder (by 30%, to 3 thousand tonnes), casein (by 25%, to 310 tonnes), whey (by 15%, to 37 thousand tonnes) and ripened cheese (by 12%, to 25 thousand tonnes).