Ukraine’s pig population drops

Ukraine’s pork market is in turmoil as prices reached record heights amid shrinking pork production. A slight improvement in the situation with African Swine Fever (ASF) makes little difference, as the Ukrainian pig farmers’ association revealed to a local news outlet, TSN.

In June 2025, the average retail pork price reached 253.2 hryvnia per kg (US $6.13), 32% higher than a year earlier, the organisation estimated.

The key factor driving prices up is a drop in pork production. Since the beginning of the year, the supply on the Ukrainian pork market has dropped by 11% compared with the same period of the previous year, the pig farmers’ association reported. Remarkably, the industrial segment, which historically performs better than backyard farms, saw a 15% drop in output in 2025.

A decline in the backyard segment has been a long-term trend that has persisted for the last 10 years. This year’s negative performance in the industry is further accelerated by “military actions on the east of the country, economic instability and ASF outbreaks,” the organisation added.

“Some manufacturers were forced to cease operations due to a decrease in wholesale prices and a simultaneous increase in production costs, in particular feed,” the pig farmers’ association stated.

The Ukrainian pig industry is in turmoil despite some improvements on the ASF front. Since the beginning of the year, only 46 ASF outbreaks have been registered in the country, against 60 outbreaks during the same period of the previous year.

Only 9% of the outbreaks this year were reported at pig farms, compared to 25% last year. The number of outbreaks registered in the wild nature reached 63% versus 17% in 2024.

However, the disease still contributes to ups and downs on the Ukrainian pork market. The ASF outbreaks have led to a rush among pig farmers to sell their pigs, fearing potential losses. This has resulted in a short-term decline in prices. However, this panic selling only fuels the upward price rally on the market in the long run, as stated by Alexandra Bondarskaya, head of the association’s analytical departments.

Tags: pig industry, Market, outbreaks, pig farms, Ukraine, pork, price, African Swine Fever, Production