In 2023, the European Union’s raw milk production reached 160.8 million tons, marking a modest increase of 0.8 million tons compared to the previous year, according to Eurostat. The majority of this milk, 149.3 million tons, was processed into dairy products such as drinking milk, yogurt, and other acidified items. The EU also produced significant amounts of cheese and butter. Germany led the EU in various dairy product categories, producing 19% of the total drinking milk and 27% of the acidified milk products. Other countries contributing substantially to dairy production include Spain, France, and the Netherlands.
Germany’s dominance in the dairy sector extended beyond drinking milk, with notable shares in butter and cheese production as well. France ranked second in both butter and cheese production, followed by Ireland and Italy. Spain and the Netherlands also played critical roles in meeting the EU’s demand for acidified milk products, with Spain contributing 15% to the drinking milk production, while the Netherlands came second in acidified products, after Germany.
The data also showed that cheese production in the EU totaled 10.6 million tons, derived from a mix of whole and skimmed milk, with 58.2 million tons of whole milk being used for cheese and 45.4 million tons for butter production. Overall, dairy remains a vital sector in the EU’s agriculture, and these statistics reflect the region’s significant contribution to global milk and dairy product production, with various countries making key contributions across different product categories.
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