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For more information on this release:
E-mail: agri@cso.ie Carmel Hinchion Sophie Emerson Barry O'Reilly
For general information on CSO statistics:
information@cso.ie (+353) 21 453 5000 On-line ISSN 2009-566X
CSO statistical release, , 11am

Milk Statistics

December 2020

Domestic Milk Intake
2019 2020 % change
million litres  
December241.4254.85.5%
January - December7,986.2 8,291.8 3.8%

Domestic Milk Intake up by 5.5% in December 2020

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Domestic milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers was estimated at 254.8 million litres for December 2020. This represents an 5.5% increase over December 2019. See Figure 1.

 

A comparison of figures for January to December 2020 with the corresponding period of 2019 show that:

Domestic milk intake increased by 3.8% to 8.292 billion litres.

Butter production increased by 4.7% to 262,600 tonnes.

Fat content increased to 4.2%.

Protein content increased marginally to 3.55%.

 

See Table 1 for more details.

The information used to compile this release was collected under EU Directive 96/16/EC.

Table 1 Milk Statistics
CategoryYearUnitJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Domestic milk intake2018million161.8294.2627.5823.1993.1924.7853.4823.8721.8642.0461.2258.57,585.0
   by creameries and2019litres175.3303.6708.7953.31072.21001.0943.2842.8721.9604.7418.1241.47,986.2
   pasteurisers2020176.2331.7725.7982.71115.31031.0985.0867.6725.4645.6450.8 ¹254.88,291.8
       
    Fat content2018%4.234.254.234.053.813.823.914.124.354.534.744.584.14
 20194.214.324.233.943.853.923.964.164.424.744.844.584.17
 20204.314.294.273.973.873.974.044.174.434.714.85 ¹4.664.20
              
   Protein content2018%3.40 3.373.203.213.393.343.333.493.773.953.943.663.48
 20193.42 3.473.323.403.443.463.463.553.793.943.853.623.54
 20203.48 3.383.293.433.463.45 3.513.573.783.993.853.653.55
       
Imported milk intake ²2018million70.767.5****70.163.758.662.962.471.1810.9
   2019litres71.371.172.056.955.560.153.3*58.9***710.6
 2020*************
        
Total milk sold for human2018million45.443.346.844.447.043.943.544.943.845.244.644.1536.7
    consumption ³2019litres44.841.946.745.245.345.044.745.143.445.443.741.8533.2
 202043.142.545.847.147.345.747.444.441.741.139.0 ⁴38.6 ⁴523.6
       
of which:2018million27.726.628.527.229.126.826.627.326.427.327.227.0327.8
   Whole milk sales2019litres26.925.329.028.528.229.429.128.626.828.926.825.8333.1
 202026.125.829.132.031.630.631.528.926.726.324.2 ⁴24.4 ⁴337.1
      .. 
    Skimmed & semi-2018million17.716.818.217.217.917.016.917.617.417.917.317.1208.9
    skimmed milk sales2019litres17.916.617.716.817.215.615.716.616.716.516.916.1200.1
 2020 17.016.716.715.215.715.115.915.415.014.814.8 ⁴14.2 ⁴186.5
       
Butter2018'0008.99.520.223.727.525.623.424.622.520.317.913.9237.8
 2019tonnes8.210.622.228.431.028.128.225.522.320.215.110.9250.8
 20207.111.222.629.029.830.330.926.224.022.917.8 ¹10.8262.6
       
Skimmed milk powder2018'000**7.110.120.418.613.113.611.510.111.711.3133.8
 2019tonnes5.2*5.821.424.218.419.112.39.18.6*10.2142.5
 2020 4.93.27.218.924.620.120.317.913.0 ⁴***141.6 ⁴
       
Cheese 2017'0003.210.126.327.028.932.726.328.831.122.516.36.0259.4
 2018tonnes3.511.625.425.630.732.926.629.931.027.120.05.2269.4
 2019 3.69.225.027.731.733.328.631.432.226.823.55.4278.4
               
1 Revised.
2 Raw milk imports and imported milk for processing on contract. This does not include imported packaged milk for retail sale.
3 Does not include imported packaged milk for retail sale.
* Confidential.
4 Provisional
Table 2 EU Milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers‘000 tonnes
CountryJan - Nov 19Jan - Nov 20% change
European Union 1131,321133,0211.3
   Austria2,8802,8830.1
   Belgium3,9284065 23.5
   Bulgaria6096445.7
   Croatia401399-0.5
   Cyprus21724814.2
   Czech Republic2,8132,9334.3
   Denmark5,1495,1910.8
   Estonia6997233.4
   Finland2,1342,1691.6
   France22430 322563 30.6
   Germany29,75129,8880.5
   Greece5745974.0
   Hungary1,4401,4822.9
   Ireland7,9758,2763.8
   Italy10963 310840 3-1.1
   Latvia724 3728 30.5
   Lithuania1,2531,2560.2
   Luxembourg3743996.7
   Malta38392.8
   Netherlands12,63112,7931.3
   Poland11,17011,4412.4
   Portugal1,7361,7641.6
   Romania1038 31049 31.1
   Slovakia7477662.6
   Slovenia5175322.9
   Spain6650 36816 32.5
   Sweden2,4782,5402.5
    
  Source: New Cronos database, Eurostat (except Ireland and European Union total, CSO).
1 Figures for EU include provisional France, Latvia, Spain, Romania and Italy figures.
2 Estimate.
3 Provisional.

Background Notes

Coverage

The monthly milk and milk products inquiry is a census of all creameries and pasteurisers.

Milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers

Whole milk purchased by creameries and pasteurisers from domestic producers through collection depots and separating stations including whole milk obtained from herds owned by the creameries and pasteurisers.  The fat content of the whole milk is also collected.  To convert milk intake from million litres to ‘000 tonnes use the following formula:

                1 tonne liquid milk = 971.164 litres.

Skimmed milk

Milk with less than or equal to 0.3% fat content.

Semi-skimmed milk

Milk with between 1.5% and 1.8% fat content.

Skimmed milk powder

Milk powder with not more than 1.5% milk fat content.

Cheese

The cheese figures are not adjusted to a calendar month basis.

Imported Milk Intake

Raw milk imports and imported milk for processing on contract. This does not include milk already packaged for retail sale.

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