With a production of 2.049 million tons in January, French milk supply is lower compared to previous years. However, the decline is less pronounced.
Production in January is only 0.28% lower than the same month in 2023, indicating a weakening trend that tends towards stabilization.
French supply has been under significant pressure recently. According to Eurostat data, France produced 1.63% less in 2021 than in 2020. In 2022, milk production decreased by 0.59%, less than the previous year. However, French milk production saw a stronger decline in 2023, with the difference increasing to 2.64%.
Lactalis Seizes Opportunities
The easing decline in milk production is likely to be positively received by Emmanuel Besnier, CEO of Lactalis. He recently spoke to the French media about the company's performance and the sector. Besnier assured that all French dairy products from Lactalis are made exclusively from French milk.
In the interview, Besnier also mentioned that the company has faced extraordinarily high inflation in all production costs over the past two years, resulting in price increases. Despite the higher prices, French consumers continued to purchase dairy products, according to Besnier. The CEO stated that sales of brands like 'Président' increased last year to over €1 billion in France and almost €3 billion worldwide.
