Despite estimates of the potential to generate up to $20 billion per year from sheep farming, the actual situation in the industry remains much more subdued. In Ukraine, the number of sheep has decreased by more than 13% over the past year, and meat and wool production is currently unprofitable. This was reported by Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Taras Vysotsky.
He commented on experts’ forecasts that sheep breeding can bring Ukraine up to $20 billion annually.
According to Vysotsky, the government is currently not using such generalized estimates as $20 billion, since the real state of the industry is much more complicated.
“Due to the war, the livestock population is decreasing: as of the beginning of 2026, about 760 thousand heads, which is more than 13% less than last year,” Vysotsky emphasized.
He also added that the industry’s economy remains unprofitable in both meat and wool production. At the same time, the state considers the development of exports as the main factor in the growth of the industry.
“Today, the export of live sheep and mutton is about $2–2.2 million per year, with an orientation towards the markets of the Middle East and North Africa (UAE, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya)”, – the deputy minister reported.
