The cattle herd in the German state of Brandenburg writes red numbers for 2016. The number of dairy cows in particular shows a decline that is significantly higher than the national average. This is evident from figures published by the statistical office in Berlin-Brandenburg.
Brandenburg, a federal state in eastern Germany, is mainly known for its large dairy farms. Compared to the count in May last year, the number of dairy cows has shrunk by 6.800 animals to 151.500 cows. This is a decrease of 4,3 percent. The reason for the decline must mainly be sought in the milk price, which recorded unacceptable levels for a large part of 2016. Nationally, the number of dairy cows in Germany has decreased by 1,3 percent.Â
Since the May census, the number of dairy farms has shrunk by 3,3 percent to just under 700 farms. This contraction is in line with the national average. On average, a dairy farm in Brandenburg has a dairy herd of 224 animals. These figures show that the largest dairy farmers in Germany are located in Brandenburg, followed by Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt, where an average of 218 and 198 dairy cows per farm have been counted. On balance, a dairy farm in Germany has 61 dairy cows.
The number of young stock in Brandenburg also shrunk considerably last year. On balance, the young stock shrank by 13 percent to 39.800 animals.Â
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