Dairy products becoming more expensive: why are your favorite everyday foods getting more and more expensive?

Changes in milk prices: domestic and export prices of raw milk

The average producer price of raw milk in September this year was HUF 173.21 per kilogram, which represents a 4% increase compared to the August level and is 13% higher than in September 2023. Milk exports also showed a significant increase in price: in September, the export price of HUF 212.85 per kilogram was registered, which is 7% higher than in August and 30% higher than a year earlier.

The transformation of milk consumption habits

In recent years, changes in milk consumption have been influenced by several factors. In addition to the effects of the pandemic and inflation, the period of price caps also contributed to consumers changing their purchasing habits of dairy products. As a result of the price increases, many people are looking for cheaper alternatives or reducing the consumption of dairy products, which has transformed the demand for dairy products in the domestic market.

Why is milk more expensive?

The continuous increase in prices is partly caused by the increase in raw material prices and production costs. The purchase price of raw milk in September was 4% lower than the previous month, but it still exceeded the September 2023 volume by 5%. And the export prices show the trend even more: the export price of raw milk is 30% higher than a year ago and 23% higher than the domestic producer price, which indicates that export demand is also contributing to the price increase. .