When was the milk supply highest?

The milk supply in the Netherlands in 2017 amounted to approximately 14 billion kilos of milk (with a fat content of 4,37% and a protein content of 3,56%). This is according to figures from Statistics Netherlands. But in which period of the year was the milk supply the highest?

Between 2016 and 2017, the milk supply decreased by 26,9 million kilos. In that year, the most milk was supplied in the month of May (1,263 billion kilos). In which month was the milk supply highest in 2017?

In which month was the supply highest?
If we look at the milk supply in 2017, we see that it was also the highest here in May. The milk supply then amounted to 1,255 billion kilos of milk (with a fat content of 4,29% and a protein content of 3,54%). As mentioned above, in May 2016 this amounted to 1,263 billion kilos (fat content of 4,35% and protein content of 3,50%). The difference between the highest supply figures is 7,319 million kilos of milk.

March is in second place. In this month, the milk supply amounted to 1,248 billion kilos of milk. This includes a fat content of 4,45% and a protein content of 3,56%. In 2016, the milk supply in that month amounted to 1,239 billion kilos of milk. This includes a fat content of 4,55% and a protein content of 3,59%. The milk supply in March 2017 was more than 8,7 million kilos higher than in March 2016. However, the fat and protein contents were higher in 2016.

January is at the bottom of the podium, when the milk supply reached 1,227 billion kilos (with a fat content of 4,54% and a protein content of 3,61%). In 2016, the milk supply in January amounted to 1,214 billion kilos of milk (fat content of 4,51% and protein content of 3,57%). In March 2017, the milk supply was 12,5 million kilos higher than in March 2016.

April is in fourth place. In this month, the milk supply in 2017 amounted to 1,213 billion kilos of milk. This includes a fat content of 4,40% and a protein content of 3,56%. In 2016, the milk supply in this month was higher, namely 1,218 billion kilos of milk. This includes a fat content of 4,47% and a protein content of 3,54%. This means that the milk supply in March 2017 is almost 5 million kilos lower than in March 2016.

The month of December closes this top 5. In this month, the milk supply amounted to 1,202 billion kilos of milk (with a fat content of 4,51% and a protein content of 3,65%). In 2016, the milk supply in this month still amounted to 1,204 billion kilos of milk (with a fat content of 4,58% and a protein content of 3,65%). It is a difference of almost 2 million kilos of milk.

Previous years
If we look at other years, we see that the milk supply increased considerably when the milk quota was abolished. We go back to 1995 (10,811 billion kilos of milk) and see that the milk supply was highest in May; 985,1 million kilos of milk (with a fat content of 4,40% and a protein content of 3,48%). March is in second place with 940,1 million kilos of milk (4,34% fat and 3,45% protein). Third place is for July. The milk supply then amounted to 936,7 million kilos (4,51% fat and 3,46% protein).

We jump ahead 5 years and look at the figures for 2000 (10,733 billion kilos of milk). In the first respect, we see that the figures have mainly fallen. The first place is also here for the month of May, with a supply figure of 955,3 million kilos of milk (4,27% fat and 3,38% protein). The second place is for January, in which the milk supply amounted to 920,2 million kilos of milk (with a fat content of 4,55% and a protein content of 3,52%). Third place this year is for June. In that month the milk supply amounted to 916,7 million kilos (4,21% fat and 3,41% protein).

If we look at 2005 (10,478 billion kilos of milk), we see that May tops the list here too. The milk supply then amounted to 916,5 million kilos (4,34% fat and 3,43% protein). May is followed by January, when the milk supply amounted to 903,7 million kilos of milk (with a fat content of 4,56% and a protein content of 3,52%). The bronze medal is for April. Then the milk supply amounted to 897,9 million kilos of milk (4,43% fat and 3,45% protein).

We also looked at the milk supply figures for 2010 (11,626 billion kilos of milk). This showed that May also produces the most milk here. In 2010, the milk supply in May was 1,028 billion kilos (4,34% fat and 3,48% protein). The second place is for March, with a milk supply of 1,016 billion kilos (4,55% fat and 3,52% protein). Third place goes to April, in which the milk supply amounted to 999,8 million kilos (at 4,41% fat and 3,50% protein).

The year 2015 was special, given the abolition of the milk quota. The graph below also clearly shows that the milk supply increased sharply at that time. The milk supply in that year amounted to 13,330 billion kilos of milk. The most popular month was December, when the milk supply amounted to 1,205 billion kilos of milk (4,47% fat and 3,57% protein). This month was followed by May, with 1,166 billion kilos of milk (4,28% fat and 3,51% protein). The third place is for July, with a milk supply of 1,162 billion kilos of milk (4,17% fat and 3,43% protein).

(Text continues below the chart)Milk supply in the Netherlands in recent years.

Want to see more charts? View the Database.

Fat and protein contents
If we look at the fat and protein contents, we see that January yielded the highest fat content (4,54%). The highest protein content in 2017 was 3,65%. That percentage was realized in the months of December and November. In 2016, the highest fat content was achieved in December, namely 4,58%. The highest protein content comes from the month of November (3,67%).

In 2010, the highest fat content was achieved in December (4,67%). The highest protein content also came from December (3,63%). In 2005, the highest fat content was achieved in the months of January and December (4,56%). The highest protein content was for the month of December (3,57%).

If we go back a few years, we see that the highest fat content in 2000 came in the month of November (4,57%). The highest protein content that year came from October (3,61%). In 1995, the highest fat content of the month was recorded in December (4,62%). The highest protein content was for the month of November (3,59%).

* Figures are from Statistics Netherlands.

Kimberly Baker

Kimberly Bakker is an all-round editor at Boerenbusiness. She also has an eye for the social media channels of Boerenbusiness.

k.baker @boerenbusiness. Nl

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