Domestic Milk Intake by milk processors and co-ops was estimated at 815.7 million litres in March 2026, a decrease of 6.1 million litres (-0.7%) when compared with March 2025 but up 58.6 million litres (+7.7%) when compared with the same month in 2024.
Fat content for March 2026 was 4.48%, up from 4.34% in March 2025. Protein content for March 2026 was 3.38%, unchanged from March 2025.
Butter production rose from 24,000 tonnes in March 2025 to 27,100 tonnes in March 2026, up 3,100 tonnes.
In Quarter 1 (Q1) 2026, Domestic Milk Intake was estimated at 1.33 billion litres, up 20.4 million litres (+1.6%) when compared with the same period in 2025 and rose by 75.0 million litres (+6.0%) when compared with 2024.
Up-to-date trends of monthly Domestic Milk Intake for 2024, 2025, and 2026 can be seen in Figure 1.
Table 1 presents analysis of month versus month comparisons of the current year and previous year's Domestic Milk Intake.
| X-axis label | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 148.5 | 162.5 | 169.4 |
| Feb | 351.9 | 327.8 | 347.4 |
| Mar | 757.2 | 821.8 | 815.7 |
| Apr | 952 | 1074.5 | |
| May | 1107.4 | 1183.4 | |
| June | 1031.2 | 1080.5 | |
| Jul | 972.4 | 1004.9 | |
| Aug | 887.2 | 944.8 | |
| Sep | 767.7 | 773.2 | |
| Oct | 673.1 | 706.1 | |
| Nov | 512.3 | 496.1 | |
| Dec | 267.6 | 259.7 |
Table 2 summarises the monthly collection of milk and production of milk products.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (07 May 2026) published Milk Statistics for March 2026.
Commenting on the release, Stephanie Kelleher, Statistician in the Agriculture Section of the CSO, said: “Today’s figures show that the Domestic Milk Intake in March 2026 by milk processors and co-ops fell by 6.1 million litres, or -0.7%, compared with the same month in 2025. Production of Butter was up 3,100 tonnes, from 24,000 tonnes in March 2025 to 27,100 tonnes in March 2026.
Looking at Q1 2026, Domestic Milk Intake was at 1.33 billion litres, a rise of 1.6% compared with the corresponding value between January and March 2025. When compared with Q1 2024, Domestic Milk Intake was up 75 million litres (+6%) in Q1 2026. Quarterly Butter production increased by 5,400 tonnes, from 38,800 tonnes in Q1 2025 to 44,200 tonnes in Q1 2026."