Ukrainian producers have significantly increased the physical volume of poultry meat shipments to foreign markets; however, the decline in global prices has led to a decrease in the agricultural sector’s total foreign exchange revenue.
This was reported by the press service of the Union of Poultry Breeders of Ukraine, according to Dengi.ua citing the association’s official statement.
Trends in Exports and the Price Collapse in August 2026
According to official customs statistics, in August 2026, Ukrainian exporters shipped 40,600 metric tons of poultry meat abroad, which is 1.5% less than in July (41,200 metric tons).
However, in Monetary Terms, the Decline was Much More Pronounced:
- revenue for August fell by 7.9% compared to the previous month, down to $82.2 million;
- the average selling price fell to $2.02 per kilogram;
- compared to August of the previous year, the export price fell by 20.9%, driven by both a general decline in product prices on global exchanges and a shift in the product mix toward more affordable items.
Export Results for the First 8 Months of 2026
From January to August 2026, domestic agricultural holdings exported a total of 330,200 metric tons of poultry meat. This is 12.5% higher than the volume for the same period last year.
However, the decline in prices offset these production gains: total foreign exchange revenue fell by 2.6% to $697.9 million.
Key Importers of Ukrainian Chicken Meat
The geographic breakdown of shipments over the 8-month period was as follows:
- Netherlands — 20% (main hub and consumer);
- United Kingdom — 11.7%;
- Slovakia — 10.6%;
- UAE — 6.4%.
The Role of the European Market for Ukrainian Producers
The European Union holds a key position in the sales structure of Ukraine’s poultry industry:
- in terms of physical volume, EU countries accounted for 36% of all Ukrainian exports (118,900 metric tons);
- in financial terms, the share of exports to Europe reached 47% of total foreign exchange revenue, underscoring the critical importance of preferential access to the EU market for the Ukrainian agribusiness sector.
