News Milk
The Netherlands remains ahead of Poland as the third largest milk producer in the EU
The Netherlands is expected to relinquish its position as Europe's third-largest milk producer to Poland, but this will not happen by 2025.
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The Netherlands produced a net 1.3922.622 tons of milk last year. In the same period, Poland produced 1.378.996 tons. This puts the Dutch lead at just under 1%. This percentage difference is almost the same as in 2024, although both countries produced more annually last year.
The monthly figures show that the supply is evenly matched. In 2025, Poland produced six times more than the Netherlands. Especially in the spring, the Polish supply was higher than the Dutch. The fact that the Netherlands maintained its lead throughout 2025 is due to the high supply figures in the second half of last year, partly as a result of a disrupted calving pattern due to bluetongue.
Turning point since May 2024
In May 2024, a turning point occurred for the first time, when Polish milk production surpassed that of the Netherlands. Since then, it has been a matter of where monthly production peaks.
Whether the Netherlands can maintain its lead in 2026 remains to be seen. The Polish milk supply has the potential to grow further in the coming years, while production in the Netherlands is under pressure due to closures and shrinking environmental footprints.