Ukraine has gone through a difficult and over time long period of recognition of market relations, which was accompanied by the emergence of imbalances. This is also the independence of enterprises with administrative influence on their work; liberalization of prices; low purchasing power of the population, which leads to a decrease in demand; rise in energy prices, as well as unequal exchange between industry and agriculture. As a consequence of the influence of these factors, there are changes in the structure of the cattle herd, the interest of producers in increasing the volume of livestock products is lost, incl. and meat, even at the level of personal peasant farms. Assessment of the state of the beef cattle breeding industry indicates a reduction in the number of fattening cattle in all categories of farms. The main reason for this unsatisfactory trend is the loss of profitability of beef cattle breeding. Studies of its causes have confirmed the influence of indicators of the number of livestock, animal productivity, as well as the cost of production.

In 2009-2019 alone, the number of cattle decreased by almost 30 percent. And the available livestock of productive livestock in the households of the population does not provide guarantees and rhythmic supplies of raw materials to processing enterprises. Intermediaries create their problematic influence on the formation of the market for beef cattle breeding. However, even under such conditions, the beef cattle industry confirms its self-sufficiency in the turnover of products. The experience of the developed countries of Europe and the world confirms that the functioning of economic systems, which are based on market conditions, confirms their feasibility, efficiency and viability. The preconditions for the approval of the Ukrainian beef cattle market were the privatization of land and property, restructuring, and in some places the cancellation of debts, the introduction of a fixed tax, and some additional payment for the sold cattle.

Therefore, market relations already, and in the future, affect the development of agriculture and beef cattle breeding, which is a multifaceted system with a large number of subjects of production, processing and sale of the industry's products. This is confirmed by weighty factors of the objective need to form a commodity market for beef cattle breeding to meet the demand for food products through the formation of the necessary volumes of their supply. It is also important that the formation of a market for beef cattle breeding, the supply of products should be expressed through the exchange infrastructure: stock exchanges, wholesale markets, auctions, trading houses, company stores, retail trade, city markets. The foregoing confirms the objective need to form a market for beef cattle breeding, while adhering to the principle of competition, which can objectively reproduce the essence of market relations in determining prices, the volume of supply of products supplied to the market and their quality. The market must operate on the basis of the requirements of the laws of value, equilibrium of supply and demand, and fulfill its regulatory function.

The advantages of the market system have been convincingly brought to light by many years of practical efficiency and it is recognized as the highest and perfect form of management. In the system of market relations, agriculture is an integral part of the national economic complex, the entire system of economic development.

The article proposed by the author provides information on the situation on the market for beef cattle breeding, factors that affect its functioning, as well as the reasons that shape supply and demand. Separate inconsistencies in the activities of the subjects of the market of beef cattle breeding have been established, the elimination of which will provide an improvement in the actual state and improve its functioning. The author of the article guides the participants in the market of beef cattle breeding to take into account the peculiarities of its functioning in their activities, which will contribute to the formation of the necessary volumes of products to meet the existing demand on the market.

Key words: market, meat cattle breeding, criteria, competitiveness, marketing, demand, supply, infrastructure.