Inside Milk
Germany and France switch back milk tooth
Germany and France have cut milk production a notch in recent weeks compared to last year. The turnaround at the EU's two largest milk producers is clearly reflected in the milk supply in May, which is traditionally the peak of the season.
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Milk production in France in the first months of this year was already clearly behind the same period in 2018. However, in the spring the supply was close to last year's level. In Germany, milk production was broadly in line with that of 2018, with a clear recovery in March.
Downward trend
However, both France and Germany show a clear decline in milk production in May. In Germany this fell by 1,5% to more than 2,87 million tonnes. In France, milk production fell by 1,6% to just over 2,2 million tons, according to the production figures that the countries submitted to the European Commission.
The latest reports show that the downward trend of both milk superpowers in the EU also continued in June and the first week of July. Milk production decreases seasonally anyway, but the level is also clearly lower compared to last year. That is also one of the reasons the spot price for raw milk in southern Germany has increased considerably in recent weeks.
No scarcity
Although Germany, France and also the Netherlands produce significantly less milk, this does not yet mean a scarcity on the European dairy market. The expectation is that the EU's milk production will be even higher this year. The downward movement in Germany, France and the Netherlands is more than compensated by higher productions from, among others, the United Kingdom, Poland and Ireland.