European Union: dairy sector
This page provides with the fundamentals of the dairy sector in Europe for the given time period.
Up to year 2003 figures refer to EU-15; from year 2004 to year 2006 figures refer to EU-25; since 2007 figures refer to EU-27.

The table evidences:
  • the complexity of the sector where it is important the connection among many different elements: raw milk area, dairy productions, import, export, internal consumption;
  • the most important traded dairy products.
EUROPEAN UNION
x 1.000 ton 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Raw material area
Number of cows ('000 head) 24.193 24.061 24.193 23.641 23.093 22.844  
Milk production 148.515 147.990 148.459 146.851 147.534 150.160  
± % from previous year -0,4% +0,3% -1,1% +0,5% +1,8%
Delivery of milk    chart 133.075 133.309 134.318 133.480 135.697 138.840 139.926
 % Delivery on production 89,6% 90,1% 90,5% 90,9% 92,0% 92,5%
Dairy Production MOVING AVERAGE of produced VOLUMES in Europe EU-27
Liquid milk (Cod. Eurostat MC110) 32.443 31.705 31.684 31.419 31.504 31.478  
Cream for direct consumption (Cod. Eurostat MC130) 2.516 2.408 2.351 2.389 2.402 2.393  
Yogurt and other products (Cod. Eurostat MC140) 7.516 7.887 7.846 7.906 8.143 8.112  
Butter (Cod. Eurostat MM230) chart 1.923 1.947 1.934 1.892 1.854 1.889 1.936
Cheese (Cod. Eurostat MM241) chart 8.055 8.150 8.216 8.221 8.427 8.412 8.412
± % from previous year +1,2% +0,8% +0,1% +2,5% -0,2% +0,0%
Condensed milk (Cod. Eurostat MC210) 1.135 1.034 1.054 938 956 946  
WMP (whole milk powder) (Cod. Eurostat MC226) * chart 792 794 865 749 772 751 735
SMP (skimmed milk powder) (Cod. Eurostat MC224) chart 955 993 949 1.133 1.052 1.183 1.222
Whey powder (Cod. Eurostat MC273) 1.386 1.658 1.609 1.489 1.695 1.693  
Casein and Caseinates (Cod. Eurostat MC260) chart 140 114 117 83 105 109  
Export
Bulk milk (HS 04011090, HS 04012019 and HS 04012099) 25,2 25,8 37,5 28,4 44,2 72 85
Packed milk (HS 04011010, HS 04012011 and HS 04012091) 114 130 128 143 173 211 318
  of which:
- Whole milk 57 61 59 71 91 107 177
- Seml-skimmed milk 48,2 57 57 61 68 88 117
- skimmed milk 9,0 12,5 11,4 10,9 13,2 15,8 23,9
Condensed milk (HS 040291 and HS 040299) 212 228 225 229 244 246 292
Butter (HS 0405) 241 212 154 149 156 126 127
of which:
- Anhydrous Milk Fat 49,9 44,6 31,5 28,4 25,7 26,3 19,1
Cheese (HS 0406) 587 596 555 578 676 682 776
± % from previous year +1,5% -6,9% +4,2% +17,0% +0,9% +13,8%
SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210) 85 203 179 231 379 518 523
± % from previous year +139,6% -11,7% +29,0% +64,0% +36,8% +1,0%
WMP (whole milk powder - HS 040221+040229) 435 367 485 460 447 390 387
± % from previous year -15,5% +32,0% -5,2% -2,7% -12,8% -0,6%
Whey powder (HS 0404) 358 399 377 450 451 524 543
of which:
- WPC 333 355 344 403 398 462 492
Casein (HS 350110) 31,5 23,7 26,8 26,5 29,7 36,0 35,7
Caseinates (HS 350190) 43,6 39,1 38,7 38,8 26,0 42,5 45,1
Lactose pharmaceutical (HS 170211) 90 92 94 114 115 137 142
Lactose edible (HS 170219) 5,3 9,7 12,5 15,9 12,7 7,9 9,4
Import
Butter (HS 0405) 90 91 64 62 39,9 46,9 55
Cheese (HS 0406) 101 94 84 84 82 74 77
SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210) 21,2 9,8 7,7 6,0 3,8 0,4 1,6
Domestic consumption
Butter 1.968 1.994 1.968 1.984 1.975 1.966  
Cheese 8.491 8.728 8.864 8.869 8.891 8.931  
Population ('000) 485.611 495.086 497.099 498.982 500.679 502.155 503.417

(p): provisional
* Incl. Milk powder cream and partly skimmed milk powder

Source Number of cows: Eurostat (updated every year in December)
Source Milk production: FAO
Source Delivery of milk: Eurostat
Source Dairy production: Eurostat, Productschap Zuivel
Source Export and Import: GTIS
Source Consumption: ZMB
Source Population: FAO

Last update: 2013-05-20
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