Ukraine’s Top Milk-Producing Cows: Five Exceed 100 Tons Each

Highlights from the 18th International Dairy Congress

According to Главком: At the 18th International Dairy Congress, the results of the 'Milk Records of Ukraine-2026' ranking were announced. The event identified the top five cows with the highest lifetime milk yields, each surpassing 100 tons, along with a winner in the 'Hope of the Industry' category. According to information published by Glavkom, citing the Association of Milk Producers, these achievements come at a time when raw milk production in Ukraine is declining.

The Top Five Record-Breaking Cows

• Cow Sosna from the Shevchenko Agricultural Firm in Chernihiv region - 141,455 kg of milk over 9 lactations;
• Cow Pshonynka from Ponory LLC - 120,242 kg;
• Cow Katusha from Pishchanska Agricultural Firm LLC - 107,549 kg;
• Cow Vesnyanka from Rozhnivka-Agro LLC - 105,617 kg;
• Cow Mikroba from Bilagro LLC - 104,273 kg of milk.

In the 'Hope of the Industry' category, the winning cow was Lysytsia from Kremen PJSC, with an average yield of 18,211 kg per lactation. Other participants in this category include:

• Cow Symona from Pishchanska Agricultural Firm LLC (17,981 kg);
• Cow Soborka from Promin Agricultural Enterprise (17,744 kg);
• Cow Romantyka from Vitchyzna Agricultural Enterprise (17,017 kg);
• Cow Dvachetverta from Yerchyky Private Agricultural Firm (14,474 kg).

These accomplishments stand in stark contrast to the serious challenges facing Ukraine’s dairy sector. In the first quarter of 2026, the country produced 1.31 million tons of raw milk-10% less than the same period the previous year. In January 2026, some small and medium-sized farms considered temporarily halting production, and by the end of February, the Association of Milk Producers warned that up to 20% of industrial output could be lost by year’s end. Purchase prices for raw milk have dropped by 23%, with the average price in February hovering around 13.5 UAH per kg (excluding VAT), while direct operating costs exceed 16 UAH.

Hanna Lavrenyuk, head of the Association of Milk Producers: 'Farms were waiting for positive market signals until March-and in their absence, they planned to cease operations and not sow corn for silage.'

The congress results highlight the strong potential of individual producers, but the overall state of the industry raises many concerns. Declining raw milk production volumes and falling product prices point to systemic issues that require attention from the government and professional associations. Amid such challenges, the importance of innovation and support for farmers becomes especially critical to ensuring stability in Ukraine’s dairy sector.