Inside Milk
German milk supply ends above 5-year average
Dairy farmers in Germany produced slightly less milk in December than a year earlier, new figures from the European Commission show. Compared to the 5-year average, a small plus is visible. Now that the figures for December are known, the balance for the whole of 2020 can be drawn up.
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In the month of December, German dairy processors collected 2.661.300 tons of milk, according to the latest data from the European Commission. This is an increase of approximately 5,5% compared to a month earlier, when the milk supply amounted to 2,59 million tons. Compared to the same month last year, a decrease is visible: -1,1%. In December 2019, milk production amounted to 2,69 million tons. The 5-year average is 2,65 million tons.
Long-term average as a guideline
If we look at the whole of 2020, milk production in Germany amounts to more than 32,53 million tons. This is exactly 32.536.860 tons. This is an increase of 0,4% compared to a year earlier. For the whole of 2019, milk production amounted to approximately 32,43 million tons. The 5-year average is 32,2 million tons. The current level of milk supply is therefore approximately 0,9% above that.
Dairy farmers in Germany produced a lot of milk, especially in the first months of the year. For example, up to and including March, the milk supply was well ahead of the year before and the long-term average. Since the global corona pandemic, milk supply figures have dropped slightly, with the exception of July. But, this is not surprising, other countries in the European Union also see this trend.