Ukraine’s pet sector expands as premium demand and exports drive growth

While the Ukrainian pet market continues to face the effects of the war with Russia, pet companies reported growth in 2025.

For instance, Kharkiv-based pet food manufacturer Suziria’s group market share increased to over 16%, while sales of its manufacturing and distribution arm rose 15% year-over-year (YoY).

Meanwhile, Lviv-based pet food producer Kormotech tells GlobalPETS that its annual turnover increased by approximately 7.5% YoY, reaching €161.3 million ($174.2M) in 2025, up from €150 million ($162M) in 2024.

Premium segment

According to Suziria, its market share growth was driven by the premium segment. “Our brand Savory, which has been growing for 4 consecutive years, has entered the top 5 super-premium brands in Ukraine,” it says. Savory, currently available in 4,000 retail outlets across 7 countries, achieved 35% overall growth in 2025.

In its distribution business, the strongest sales performance came from VAFO’s portfolio, which collectively increased by 21%.

The company also saw an uptick in non-food categories, where it aims to regain leadership positions within the next 2 years.

“In pet equipment for cats and dogs – including bowls, litter boxes, scoops, paw cleaners and related accessories – we achieved 32% growth, which is twice the overall market growth rate,” the company says.

Kormotech registered volume increases in both the standard and super-premium pet food segments, at 12.4% and 10%, respectively. The company’s Global Marketing Officer, Igor Blystiv, notes that this trend reflected demand for accessible everyday nutrition as well as a willingness to pay for higher-quality, value-added products.

In addition, demand for thermally processed food remained strong. “Consumers increasingly seek more natural formulations and cleaner label positioning, with transparent ingredient communication on packaging,” Blystiv says.

According to Kormotech, this shift encouraged manufacturers to refine recipes and emphasize simplicity and naturalness.

Trade activity

In 2025, Suziria expanded its international reach by entering the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This complemented its existing 12 markets, including Ireland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Moldova, Georgia, Latvia, Japan and Bulgaria.

While exports accounted for less than 2% of the group’s total business volume, the manufacturer aimed to achieve at least a 1% share of the total pet food market in each of its priority countries.

In certain markets, the company says it is already building strong brand positions. For example, in Poland, Savory launched its own D2C website in 2025. Today, Poland and Moldova are key strategic export markets and generate the highest revenue among its international operations.

Kormotech, on the other hand, says its domestic market sales accounted for roughly 70% of total turnover, while export sales represented around 30% in 2025. “Overall, the balance between domestic and export markets was maintained at approximately the same level as in 2024,” says Igor Blystiv.

Disruptions

Despite the strong double-digit growth, Suziria faced an energy crisis and blackouts, labor shortages, disrupted supply chains and infrastructure destruction last year.

Its pet retail chain, MasterZoo, which opened 16 new stores in 2025, also experienced blackouts, temperature fluctuations in stores and additional expenditure on generators and backup power.

For Kormotech, the most significant challenge was reduced workforce availability. “In Ukraine, mobilization and recent legislative changes have significantly affected the labor market, creating additional pressure on recruitment and workforce planning,” says Blystiv.

In addition, energy security was also a major operational challenge for the company. Blystiv notes that large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have imposed strict electricity supply limitations on production facilities.

“As a result, from mid-November to mid-February, our wet pet food production operated continuously on diesel generators to ensure uninterrupted supply to our partners and customers,” he adds.

Outlook

For 2026, Suziria will focus on new strategic projects, including the stabilization and optimization of its new wet pet food production facility in Kalush, 550 km from Kyiv.

The €10 million ($10.8M) facility spans 2,400 square meters and has a capacity of up to 5,000 tons of product per year, with plans to double this by the end of 2026. The plant will serve the brands Half&Half and the newly launched CATCH!, with 6 SKUs for each.

Kormotech, on the other hand, will focus on global expansion, particularly in key Central and Eastern European markets, while advancing global initiatives such as Kormotech America.

“By 2029, we aim to significantly increase the share of international sales, gradually shifting the balance from the domestic market toward exports. We also plan to increase the share of premium and super-premium products in our portfolio,” the company’s Global Marketing Officer says.

Kormotech will also launch its second wet pet food production facility in Lithuania and is planning further investment in dry pet food production as part of its expansion strategy.

This approach will help sustain the producer’s growth amid expected higher inflation and the gradual devaluation of the national currency.