Milk market in Guatemala

Earlier Report Observations

From 2018 to 2020, Guatemala's milk market volume showed moderate fluctuations, starting at 617 thousand tons. Public-private campaigns, such as World Milk Day promotions organized by the Ministry of Economy and industry associations, aimed to boost consumption and highlight domestic production, helping to maintain demand. The market stabilized around 612 thousand tons in 2019 before expanding to 621 thousand tons in 2020.

A significant peak occurred in 2021, with the market reaching 649 thousand tons. This growth was primarily driven by efforts to enhance technical knowledge within the dairy sector. The Milk Producers' Chamber organized training and knowledge-transfer events to improve herd management practices, leading to increased productivity and higher milk output. The following year, the market volume contracted to 619 thousand tons. During this period, the sector reported diversification into buffalo and goat milk production, although this structural shift did not offset the overall market decline.

In 2023, the market recovered to 633 thousand tons. Macroeconomic conditions, notably exchange rate stability, favored the import of inputs for dairy processing, supporting production. Continued promotional activities around World Milk Day also contributed to sustaining consumption levels throughout the full period.

Production milk in Guatemala

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Top producers of milk, 2017-2020

World map of production of milk, 2017-2020

In 2020, Guatemala produced 561.3 thousand tons of milk, marking a 2.1% increase from the previous year. Looking at the period from 2017 to 2020, production grew by 2.8%, which translates to an annualized rate of 0.9%. The most significant drop occurred in 2019, with a decline of 1.7%, while the largest rise was seen in 2018, at 2.4%.

Annual dynamics of production in Guatemala in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Exports milk from Guatemala

Exports in kind, t

The market exhibited considerable volatility during these years. Exports reached their lowest point in 2019 at 173 tons, then surged to a peak of 561 tons in 2018, representing a 3.2-fold difference between these extremes. In 2020, Guatemala exported 481 tons of milk, showing a sharp increase of 177.9% compared to 2019. The most substantial decline was recorded in 2019, at 69.1%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Guatemala in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Belize were the top contributors to Guatemala's milk exports in volume, accounting for 45.1%, 20.1%, and 17.2% of exports, respectively. Together, these three countries made up 82.5% of total export flows.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Guatemala in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, M $ US

Market performance showed noticeable fluctuations over this period. Export volumes hit their lowest in 2019 and peaked in 2018, with a 3.2-fold difference between these years. In 2020, Guatemala's milk export value stood at 0.6 million US dollars, up 3.8% from 2019. The minimum value was recorded in 2019 at 0.6 million US dollars, while the maximum was in 2018 at 2.0 million US dollars. The largest decline occurred in 2019, at 68.9%, and the biggest increase was in 2018, at 182.5%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Guatemala in value, 2017-2020, M $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, the leading destinations for Guatemala's milk exports in value terms were Nicaragua, Belize, and El Salvador, with shares of 27.6%, 26.9%, and 25.3%, respectively. Collectively, these three countries accounted for 79.8% of total export flows.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Guatemala in value, 2017-2020

Imports milk to Guatemala

Imports in kind, t

After two years of growth, Guatemala's milk import volume saw a decline. In 2020, imports totaled 60 464 tons, reflecting a modest reduction of 3.6% from the previous year. Over the 2017-2020 period, imports increased by 16.8%, corresponding to a compound annual growth rate of 5.3%. The highest value was recorded in 2019 at 62 726 tons, with the largest increase occurring in 2018 at 13.6%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Guatemala in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua formed the primary cluster for Guatemala's milk imports in volume, contributing 38.1%, 21.1%, and 14.4% of imports, respectively. Together, these markets represented 73.7% of total import flows.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Guatemala in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, M $ US

Milk imports into Guatemala increased for the third consecutive year. In 2020, imports amounted to 104.6 million US dollars, indicating a slight improvement of 1.5% compared to 2019. Between 2017 and 2020, imports rose by 19.9%, equating to an annualized rate of 6.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Guatemala in value, 2017-2020, M $ US

During 2017-2020, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and New Zealand remained the main suppliers of milk to Guatemala in value terms, with shares of 34.0%, 23.2%, and 18.7%, respectively. Together, these three countries accounted for 76.0% of total imports in value terms.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Guatemala in value, 2017-2020