Increased Milk Output in Several EU Countries
EU - In the first quarter of 2009, milk deliveries in the EU were down on the previous year’s levels, according to a report by Peter Duggan, Strategic Information Services of the Irish food agency, Bord Bia.
2 September 2009
2 minute read
However, since the start of the new quota year milk deliveries have recovered with EU output for the first two months increasing by one per cent.
It would appear that as feedstuffs drop in price some producers are boosting output levels in an attempt to offset the lower milk prices available.
Across Europe production trends vary strongly. Germany, the leading producer, increased production by 8% for the first three months of 2009/10 marketing season. To date there has been so sign of output slowing with production in June alone some 12% higher. Based on previous quota levels, Germany is presently over quota.
Italian milk output increased by 4% for the first three months of the 2009/10 season. The latest figures from Eurostat indicate that Dutch and Polish output has increased by almost four per cent for the period.
Following the release of the recent EU dairy situation report, both the Italian and German Agricultural ministries proposed herd retirement schemes in an effort to reduce output.
A decline in milk output in Ireland, France and the UK has partly offset some of the increase in milk output. Irish output has fallen 4% to 1.9 million tonnes in the first three months of the 2009/10 season, with output dropping by three per cent and on per cnetEU - in France and the UK, respectively.
TheCattleSite News Desk
