27 November 2012

2 minute read

Year to date EU deliveries were 1.6 per cent up in January to August 2012 on the same period in 2011. Growth is mainly being fuelled by production increases in milk producing countries located in Eastern Europe which accounted for 13.7 per cent of milk production in this period.

Production growth in key producing countries has in contrast slowed down. According to Eurostat, year to date (January to August) milk supplies were up by 8.3 per cent in Poland - the largest milk producing country in Eastern Europe over the same period last year with production also up in other smaller milk producing countries such as Czech. Republic (5.6 per cent) and Hungary (8.6 per cent).

Butter production rose by 49 thousand tonnes (3.8 per cent) on the same period in 2011, SMP production was up by 45 thousand tonnes (5.7 per cent), cream increased by 68 thousand tonnes (4.1 per cent) and condensed milk production was up by 135 thousand tonnes (20.4 per cent).

Liquid milk production was marginally higher (0.3 per cent) than in 2011 for the first eight months of 2012. The ongoing Eurozone crisis which is still putting pressure on consumer food spending particularly in Southern Europe.

In the calendar year 2011, butter production was up 1.9 per cent on 2010 levels and SMP (excluding partially skimmed powder) was 12.3 per cent higher. WMP production levels stand at 588 thousand tonnes in 2011, a decrease of 3.9 per cent on the previous year.

TheCattleSite News Desk