The main reason is the migration of milk’s main consumers — women and children — abroad, as well as reduced purchasing power of the population in wartime, Zhupinas said.

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"There has been a positive trend in the consumption of milk and dairy foods in Ukraine since 2019. However, in February 2022, consumption in all product categories, including hard cheeses, fell sharply: from 18 to 20% due to migration and occupation, another 5 to 8% due to inflation, and from 3 to 5% due to other factors that negatively affected purchasing power," she said.

Milk processing companies tried to keep the price of raw milk up throughout the winter and even in March, hoping that the market situation would change, that people would return and consumption in Ukraine would grow. However, they were forced to decrease prices in April.

"Today, we can see that consumption is falling, while imports are growing in the domestic market," added Zhupinas.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine