Ireland was the third largest producer of butter across the EU in 2024, according to a new report from Eurostat.

The data shows that EU farms produced an estimated 161.8 million tonnes of raw milk in 2024, 96% of which was cows’ milk.

This represents an increase of 0.9 million tonnes compared with 2023 and a rise of 12.1 million tonnes compared with 2014 (149.7 million tonnes).

Eurostat said the figures confirms "the relatively steady growth in raw milk production in the EU over the decade to 2024". In 2014, the EU produced 149.7 million tonnes of raw milk.

Last year, the vast majority of raw milk was delivered to dairies, with 11 million tonnes used on farms, either being consumed by the farmer and their family, sold directly to consumers, used as feed, or processed directly.

Of the 150.8 million tonnes of milk delivered to dairies, 146.5 million tonnes were cows’ milk, the rest being from sheep, goats, and buffalo.

Germany produced just over one fifth (22%) of the EU’s raw cows’ milk in 2024.

Germany, France, Poland, The Netherlands and Italy together provided about two thirds (65.1%) of the EU’s raw cows’ milk last year and also accounted for two thirds (66.1%) of the cows’ milk collected by dairies.

Ireland provided 5.9% of the cows' milk collected by dairies.

Milk

The report outlined that the average apparent milk yield per cow in the EU reached 8,120kg in 2024.

The price of milk paid to farmers in the EU increased by an average 2.9% in 2024, following a sharper rate of decline in 2023.

There were above-average increases in the price of milk in 2024 in Ireland (16%), The Netherlands (6.4%), and Germany (5.8%).

However, there were lower prices in Spain (-8.9%), among others.

About 70% of all whole milk available to dairies in the EU is used to make cheese and butter.

In 2024, 59.9 million tonnes of whole milk, together with 17.0 million tonnes of skimmed milk, were used to produce 10.8 million tonnes of cheese.

A further 44.2 million tonnes of whole milk were used to produce 2.3 million tonnes of butter and so-called ‘yellow products’ (such as butteroil and rendered butter) and generated 41.5 million tonnes of skimmed milk.

Butter

The EU also produced 21.9 million tonnes of drinking milk, with Germany being the largest producer, accounting for 18.8% of total production.

The country was also the EU’s largest producer of acidified milk products (27.1%), butter (20.6%), and cheese (22.5%).

Spain was the second largest EU producer of drinking milk, with 15.2% of the EU total, followed by France (12.7%).

The Netherlands was the second largest producer of acidified milk products (16.8%), followed by Poland (10.4%).

France was the second largest producer of both butter (17.2% of the EU total) and cheese (17.8%).

Ireland accounted for the third highest share of EU butter production at around 15% of the EU total.