Inside Milk
Irish milk production growth accelerated in May
Irish dairy farmers produced significantly more milk in May 2021 than a year earlier. The Irish milk lake has been growing strongly for years and this trend is clearly continuing in May.
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A total of 1.218.714 tonnes of milk was delivered to Irish milk processors. That is about 76.000 tons (6,7%) more than in May 2020. The volumes supplied are also well above the 5-year average of 1.103.037 tons of milk. The increase compared to this 5-year average is therefore even 10,5%.
Milk puddle has been growing for years
Although the volume of milk produced was very large in May 2021, the growth cannot be called a complete surprise. Milk production in Ireland has been increasing for years. In May 2010, only 714.047 tons of milk was produced. Nevertheless, the increase of 6,7% on an annual basis over the past year is considerable. For example, the growth in milk production in May 2020 compared to May 2019 was only 3,4%. The growth of the Irish milk pool therefore appears to be accelerating further.
High milk price and good opportunities for dairy from grass-fed animals
The higher dairy prices this spring have also been an incentive for Irish dairy farmers to milk relatively more. The CEO of the cooperative Irish dairy processor Ornua (known for its Kerry Gold dairy products) recently indicated that the corona pandemic has boosted demand for dairy. According to him, the positive effects of dairy in the diet are being recognized in more and more countries.
The company's CEO also sees good opportunities for grass-fed products, which is very common in Ireland. The dairy company wants to increase its turnover from the specific Kerry Gold segment by 2025 billion by 1 compared to 2018 turnover. Milk is needed to achieve this growth.