The domestic milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers decreased by 9 million litres in the year up until August 2023, latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show.
At 910 million litres, the domestic milk intake, however, was only 1% below the August 2022 level when the figure stood at 919 million litres, the CSO said today (Tuesday, October 3).
In the first eight months of this year, the domestic milk intake was estimated at 6.5 billion litres, which represents a decline of 57.5 million litres or 0.9% on last year.
Fat content rose from 4.21% to 4.27%, while the protein content also increased from 3.53% in August 2022 to 3.60% during the same month this year.
Butter production was 6.9% higher at 30,600t this August compared to 28,600t last year. Skim milk powder production rose from 16,900t to 20,4000t.
EU milk intake
Meanwhile, latest CSO figures also show that there have been significant changes in the milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers in some EU countries.
Romania recorded the biggest decline in milk intake between January and July 2023 at -11.4% compared to the corresponding period last year, the CSO said.
The milk intake in Cyprus, Estonia and Bulgaria, during the seven-month period, also saw stark declines of 7.0%, 6.8%, and 6.7% respectively.