Autor: Birgit Buddendiek

In Germany in December 2022 compared to November 2022 the raw material or compound value of milk at farm has fallen 4.0 eurocent to 47.9 eurocent per kilogram milk with 4.0 percent fat and 3.4 percent protein (exclusive VAT). This is 4.5 eurocent less than in the same month one year before. The highest future price of milk for the next 18 months on the Kieler Börsenmilchwert European Energy Exchange is the price for July 2024 at 41.9 eurocent. The lowest future price is the price for March and April 2023 at 38.0 eurocent.

In Germany dairy farms that want to get certified as producing basic Q-milch (Q-Milk, QM) have in 2023 to meet three new criteria. In freestall barns the number of cubicles must be at least the same as the number of cows in the barn. When dehorning calves younger than six weeks old a painkiller must be used and when desired also sedation. As third new criteria the milk room must be in a hygienic condition. It is also possible to get certified for producing QM+ or QM++ with more strong criteria. The aim is to constantly improve animal welfare in order to make it even more of a basis for action for farmers. If farmers milk is QM+ or QM++ certified, they receive an animal welfare bonus.

In Germany in 2022 average number of cows on dairy farms was 72. Of the dairy farms had 26 percent less than 20 cows; 26 percent 20 to 49 cows; 27 percent 50 to 99 cows; 15 percent 100 to 199 cows, 5 percent 200 to 499 cows and 1 percent more than 500 cows.
The part of milk that is produced only with non-GMO feed has increased from 78 percent in 2021 to almost 80 percent in 2022.

In Germany in the milk recording year 2021/2022 the average milk production per cows was 9127 kilogram milk with 4.07 percent fat and 3.45 percent protein. This was 41 kilogram milk less than in the previous year. The average somatic cell count was 228000 which was 7000 less than in the year before.

The Holland headquartered dairy cooperative Royal FrieslandCampina has entered a strategic partnership with the US headquartered specialist biotechnology company Triplebar Bio Inc., to develop and scale up the production of cell-based proteins using precision fermentation. Precision fermentation is a food technology where microorganisms are used for producing specific functional ingredients. It can be used to produce ingredients with similar properties to those found in bovine and human milk.

The Holland headquartered dairy cooperative Royal FrieslandCampina his members council has agreed with the boards proposal to value fat more as a milk component and to change the ratio of components to protein (6), fat (4), and lactose (0). Until 2022 the guaranteed price was paid in the fixed ratio of protein (10), fat (5), and lactose (1). Also starting 2023 the standard contents will be based on the actual supplied contents delivered in 2021. This means that now the guaranteed price will be published per 100 kilograms of milk with 3.58 percent protein, 4.45 percent fat and 4.54 percent lactose.

In Holland the private producer of the analogue cheese brand Kees has been declared bankrupt. Keesmakers (Dutch for cheese makers) was founded in 2010 and made cheese in which part of the milk was substituted by vegetable ingredients, in particular oil and using vegetarian rennet. In 2014 Keesmakers started a cooperation with the Dutch dairy cooperative DOC in which DOC got nine percent ownership of Keesmakers and took over the production of Kees. In time between DOC has been taken over by the German dairy cooperative DMK. In 2015 an investors company bought 38 percent of the ownership of Keesmakers. The trustee is looking for acquisition candidates for Keesmakers.

In Holland a study of Wageningen University & Research shows that the composition of the ration of dairy cows has influence on the emission of methane. The study shows that farms that feed more grass silage and less maize have a higher methane emission. Pasturing instead of feeding grass silage, in particular in spring had a positive influence on the limiting of the emission of methane. During practical research methane emission during full pasturing was 280 gram per cow per day; with summer feeding (grass in barn) 380 gram per cow per day and with keeping them inside and feeding grass silage 440 gram per cow per day.

In Holland a study of Wageningen University & Research and others shows that on dairy farms with robotic milking an individual case of mastitis average costs 230 euro per cow. e income of dairy farmers was 115000 euro which was 70000 euro more than in 2021

In Holland in 2022 the average income of dairy farmers was 115000 euro which was 70000 euro more than in 2021

In Holland in 2022 the part of dairy farms that was pasturing cows at least during 120 days six hours a day increased 0.2 percent to 78.1 percent. The part that was pasturing less time decreased 0.3 percent to 5.8 percent. Total part of dairy farms that was pasturing stayed equal at 83.9 percent.

The Irish dairy cooperative Lakeland has withdrawn it last year announced Peak Milk Supply Management Scheme. With the scheme Lakeland would stop accepting new milk suppliers in 2023 and later. To bring the milk supply more in balance with the processing capacity, Lakeland would have introduced in 2023 a penalty payment during the months April, May and June of 4 eurocent per litre on the volume of milk that was produced more than in 2021. However: for extra milk supplied in January 2023 compared to January 2022 the dairy would have paid a bonus of 4 eurocent per litre. According to Lakeland with continuing developments and ongoing investments and enhancements in extra capacity taking place across all its facilities, higher than anticipated levels of milk processing were achieved in 2022 and further capacity will come on stream in 2023 and beyond, so it is no longer necessary to implement the Peak Milk Supply Management Scheme.

In Ireland dairy farmers made in 2022 average an income of 148000 euro which was about double as in 2021. This despite that in 2022 milk production cost were about 30 percent higher than in 2021 but farmers milk price was about 44 percent higher than in 2021.

In Ireland a study of Rothamsted Research shows that a more specified calculation of the environmental footprint of food changes the footprint of animal-based products like dairy beef to half or even less. For this Rothamsted Research calculated the footprint on base of the quality of the protein and measured this by the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS). The researchers emphasise that the quantity of protein in a product does not represent the quality of the protein. For example some plant based products can contain stuffs that even can deteriorate digestion or uptake of a nutrient.

In Denmark the new government has announce that they will introduce a CO2-tax. Dairy farmers organizations are strong against this what they call tax on digestion.

In Sweden in 2021 the average consumption of dairy products has fallen by 4 percent from 382 to 368 kilograms of milk equivalents per person. In practice the average consumption consisted of 63 litres of milk, 26 litres of sour products, 6 litres of cream, 19 kilograms of cheese and 3 kilograms of butter. To compare: in 1980 the average consumption was 160 litres of milk and the consumption of sour products was over 22 litres, cream over 7 litres and cheese 14 kilograms. Source: Swedish Board of Agriculture

In Finland the private milk processor Fazer wants to stop its dairy activities. For several years now, the company has focused strongly on plant-based alternatives to dairy, has invested more than 300 million euros in the production of oat products in the past three years and is now the largest oat drink producer in Scandinavia. Fazer is a small player in the Finnish dairy industry and mainly produces private label products. The milk comes from about 20 farms in South and Southeast Finland. The closure of the dairy would take place in August 2023 and cost 95 people their jobs.