This chapter contains information on the number of dairy cows and domestic milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers.
In 2018, Co. Cork had the largest number of dairy cows at 378,200 head while Co. Leitrim had the smallest number of dairy cows at 2,000 head.
Interactive table: Statbank link
Link to release: Crops and Livestock
| X-axis label | Dairy Cows | Domestic Milk Intake |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1163.2 | 5422.7 |
| 2014 | 1226.4 | 5648.5 |
| 2015 | 1295.8 | 6395.2 |
| 2016 | 1397.9 | 6653.8 |
| 2017 | 1432.7 | 7262.5 |
| 2018 | 1480.9 | 7585.0 |
The number of dairy cows increased by over 27% in the period 2013 to 2018.
In the years leading up to and since the abolition of the milk quota in 2015, a steady year-on-year increase in the number of dairy cows on Irish farms has been observed.
The number of dairy cows in 2018 was 1,480,900, an increase of 3.4% on 2017.
The domestic milk intake increased by just under 40% in the period 2013 to 2018.
In 2018, the estimated domestic milk intake in litres by creameries and pasteurisers in Ireland was 7,585 million litres, an increase of over 4% on 2017.
Interactive table: Statbank link
Link to release: Milk Statistics
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