EU Report Sees Three Per Cent Milk Increase by 2015
IRELAND - A recent report by the EU Commission suggests that milk production across the European Union will increase by just three per cent to 151.4 million tonnes by 2015.
1 April 2009
2 minute read
Within this the Commission project that a 5 per cent fall in EU dairy cow numbers will be more than offset by an 8 per cent rise in average milk yields, says Irish Food Board, Bord Bia. These projections take into account the quota increases agreed as part of the recent ‘Health Check’, which will result in 5 per cent extra quota being available to producers by 2013 before quotas are removed in 2015. No other policy changes are considered in this analysis.
Within the dairy sector, cheese production is forecast to show the strongest growth over the period, rising by 10 per cent to 9.9 million tonnes by 2015. This growth is forecasted to be driven by continued strong consumption levels, with consumption up 11 per cent from 2009 levels to 9.4 million tonnes consumed in 2015. However, cheese exports are expected to fall by three per cent in the same period to just over 500,000 tonnes.
European Cheese market projection 2009-2015
'000 tonnes
Source: European Commission
Butter production is set to fall by 10 per cent to 1.95 million tonnes by 2015. Consumption of butter within the EU is expected to decline slightly to 2 million tonnes, with the Commission suggesting that this will allow a complete de-stocking of intervention storage by 2012, leading to declining to a sharp decline in butter exports by 2015.
SMP production is expected to fall by 14 per cent to reach 787,000 tonnes by 2015, with a forecasted 42,000 tonnes still anticipated to remain in intervention.
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