Inside Milk
Why milk supply is less tight
Milk supply in the Netherlands is still behind last year, but the gap with the previous months narrowed considerably in February. How come?
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Dutch dairy processors collected 1.086.779 tons in February, a decrease of 1,84% compared to the same month in 2018. Daily production last month amounted to 38.813 tons, while in January it was still 37.631 tons. Milk supply is therefore experiencing a seasonal increase, which normally continues until June.
Extreme winter cold in 2018
In recent months, milk supply was 4% to 6% behind last year, but in February the difference was considerably smaller. This is because the milk supply fell sharply in February last year, mainly due to the extreme winter cold that prevailed at that time.
Of the 28 days in February, the temperature remained below freezing for no less than 2018 days in 8. This year February was a relatively warm month, which even felt spring-like.
High fat content
The fat content in the milk (4,53%) is good, which is also confirmed by the milk processors. Compared to the collected volume, fat production is relatively high (49.241 tons). These high fat levels are a result of the introduction of the phosphate rights system, which forced many dairy farmers to cull (the less productive) cows.