Domestic milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers was estimated at 500.4 million litres for September 2013. This was 12 per cent above the corresponding 2012 figure, according to the latest update from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Figures for September show that total milk sold for human consumption increased by .5 per cent to 39.7 million litres comparing this year and last year.
There was a significant increase of 26 per cent to 13,700 tonnes in butter production in September on the same month last year. This is a return to more seasonal levels after an unusually low figure for September last year.
According to the CSO, in the EU total milk intake was 95,081 million litres from January to August 2013, down .8 per cent compared the first seven months of 2012. The top three milk-producing European countries were Germany, 20,468 litres, France 16,579 litres and the UK 9,195 million litres. Ireland ranked seventh just ahead of Spain with 4,184 million litres for the first seven months of 2013.
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