New Zealand tops the rating / Photo from UNIAN
Ukraine was also third in terms of casein shipments abroad.
Ukraine ranked fifth in terms of butter exports in 2018, being behind New Zealand, the European Union (EU), Belarus, and the United States.
"According to the analytical service of the Milk Producers Association, Ukraine exported 24,400 tonnes of creamery butter in the 10 months of 2018 and joined the world's top five exporters," the association's press service said.
New Zealand ranked first, as its butter exports totaled 410,300 tonnes. The EU member states were second with 151,200 tonnes, Belarus was third with over 73,000 tonnes and the United States ranked fourth with 43,700 tonnes.
Analyst of the association Yana Muzychenko says Ukraine succeeded due to competitive prices in comparison with European ones.
"The price of Ukrainian butter in 2018 was US$4.5 per kilogram on the average, while European butter was sold at US$5-5.2 per kilogram," she said. "It was the price that became a decisive factor for Ukraine's active cooperation with the Netherlands for a second year in a row. That country ranked second in terms of purchases of Ukrainian butter. The first place was occupied by Morocco."
According to the analyst, such cooperation confirms that Ukraine has formed its positive image in foreign markets and can do without the Russian market.
Read alsoUkraine ranks among top ten dairy exporters in 2018
In addition, the expert added, the quality of Ukrainian raw milk used to produce dairy products has significantly improved in recent years. In particular, starting from 2013, the share of premium milk used for processing increased from 9.8% to 20.6%.
Ukraine also ranked third in terms of casein exports in 2018, experts said. Casein is one of the two types of proteins in milk; it is used in the pharmacological and food industry for the manufacture of diet food.
"Here we are behind only New Zealand, which exported 78,500 tonnes last year, and the EU, which supplied 66,600 tonnes to foreign markets. Ukraine's exports totaled 7,100 tonnes," Muzychenko said.
What is more, Ukraine ranked eighth among the world's exporters of whole milk powder. In 2018, Ukraine supplied 22,100 tonnes of this product, being ahead of Turkey, but behind Canada, which ranked seventh.