The seasonal increase in milk production continues in Germany after a brief interruption, according to data from the German Zentrale Milchmarkt Berichterstattung (ZMB). In week 14 of April, milk production was 5% higher than the previous week.
German milk supply totaled 2.63 million tons in February this year. Compared to last year, milk supply has increased, although it may be slightly distorted due to the leap year. Last February, milk production was 2.54 million tons, resulting in a year-on-year increase of 3.28%.
ZMB data reports on German milk production for March and April. In Germany, dairy processors received 0.2% less milk in week 13 (starting March 25) compared to the previous week. In week 14, however, the amount increased by 5% compared to week 13. This made the milk production in week 14 1.1% higher than the same week last year, continuing the seasonal increase.
Preliminary data from the German authority BLE, on the other hand, show an annual decrease in milk consumption per person. This decreased from 46.2 kilograms in 2022 to 45.8 kilograms in 2023 (-0.7%). Whole milk consumption increased by 1.1% during this period, but semi-skimmed milk consumption decreased by 2.9%. Cheese consumption also declined: with 3.3% less, it went from 24.6 kilograms per person to 23.8 kilograms per person. This coincided with higher exports and lower imports. Butter consumption, at 5.6 kilograms per person per year, was 1.4% lower than the previous year.
