A round-up of the week’s key events in the dairy industry in Ukraine and around the world 👇
💼 UDEU calls for an effective employee reservation mechanism and sector criteria for dairy businesses
This week, Ukraine’s business community was shaken by new Government initiatives to revise the rules for reserving (exempting from mobilisation) employees of critically important enterprises who are liable for military service.
🇸🇰 UDEU represents Ukraine’s dairy industry at the annual EDA convention in Bratislava
Ukraine’s dairy industry is represented by Andrii Tabalov, CEO of Molochna Kompaniia «Voloshkove Pole» LLC and Chair of UDEU’s European Integration Committee for 2024–2026, and Elisabeth Svyatkivska, UDEU Deputy Executive Director for International Affairs and European Integration and coordinator of the committee.
🎙️ «A strong Ukrainian dairy industry is a contribution to food security across Europe» — Andrii Tabalov
The annual convention of the European Dairy Association (EDA), «European Dairy: Local Roots and Global Competitiveness», is taking place in Bratislava on 14–16 October, with Ukraine’s dairy industry represented by a delegation from the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine (UDEU).
📊 Dairy Market Volatility & Feed Efficiency – IFCN Conference 2026
For the first time the entire IFCN network met at one conference in Parma: volatility is here to stay, and farm efficiency is the strongest lever to manage it.
🇺🇸 US dairy organisations are campaigning for the removal of export duties on goods bound for China
American dairy organizations push for full tariff elimination as international competitors expand their share of the Chinese market.
🇳🇿 New Zealand opens dairy season with record August milk collections
The 2026/27 season starts with 131.2 million kg of milksolids in August, as markets balance protein demand against El Niño risks.
🇺🇦 Vadym Chaharovskyi on the state and prospects of Ukraine’s dairy industry
Vadym Chaharovskyi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine (UDEU), spoke at the International Practical Forum «DAIRY FARMING INDUSTRY: Challenges. Risks. Changes. Solutions», held in Lviv on 7–8 October.
🇪🇺 European Commission: Ireland’s proposals to cut the budget will weaken the EU
Dublin’s changes to the long-term budget hit Commission priorities such as competitiveness and flexibility hardest.
🥤 Meal replacement drinks can meet demand for fullness as well as convenience
«Nutritionally complete» drinks are designed to give consumers every nutrient they need — but their role can go well beyond that.
📉 UDEU Analytics: Ukraine’s dairy trade in 2026 — imports up, exports down
Ukraine’s foreign trade in dairy products deteriorated in January–September 2026, with exports and imports moving in opposite directions.
🏆 Dairy brands from China, India and the Middle East outpace global rivals
Brand Finance’s 2026 dairy ranking puts Yili, Amul and Almarai in the global top five, underlining the resilience of Asian and Middle Eastern brands amid economic uncertainty.
💊 GLP-1 users are changing how nutrition products are developed, say ADM, Cargill and Synergy Flavours
As more people take glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) weight-loss drugs, manufacturers are rethinking recipes to pack more protein and fibre into smaller portions, with smoothies and drinkable yogurts emerging as convenient formats for these consumers, Nutrition Insight reports.
🇪🇺 Marta Kos: Ukraine to join EU agricultural policy under a special model
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has said Ukraine will become part of the European Union’s (EU) agricultural policy under a special model, continuing to export grain to its traditional markets in North Africa and Asia rather than to Europe, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
🚛 🍃ESG: FrieslandCampina speeds up sustainable milk transport through bio-CNG truck alliance
FrieslandCampina is bolstering its sustainability credentials through an alliance with seven transport companies in the Netherlands and Germany to cut carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from milk transport, DairyReporter reports.
🌍 Global milk supply set to grow 2.2% in 2026 despite drought and El Niño risks
Global milk supply is expected to grow by 2.2% in 2026 despite challenging weather conditions, DairyReporter reports.
🇩🇿 Algerian demand intensifies the race for milk powder ahead of El Niño
Dairy markets are increasingly competing on timing rather than supply.
