Autor: Birgit Buddendiek

In Switzerland from 2013 to 2020 the part of dairy cows that was housed in free stall barns increased from 46 to 58 percent.

Austria exported in 2021 a volume of 170268 tonnes of cheese which was 9.5 percent more than in 2020. Cheese imports had a volume of 132848 tonnes which was 1.8 percent more than in 2020. Average price of exported cheese was 4.29 euro per kilogram while average price of imported cheese was 3.98 euro per kilogram. Of the exported cheese 52 percent went to Germany, followed by Italy and Greece.

Austrian dairies received in 2021 a volume of 3.4 million tons milk which was 0.5 percent more than in 2020. Of the total volume 19.4 percent was organic milk. Average farmers milk price was 44.82 euro per 100 kilogram. The number of dairy farms decreased three percent to 23868, the number of dairy cows increased slightly to 526461 head. Average a farm has 22 cows, average milk production was 6464 kilogram which was 0.2 percent more than in 2020. Average farm delivered in 2021 a volume of 142.6 tonnes milk, compared to 137.3 tonnes in 2020.

In Germany, as part of its 2030 strategy, the biggest dairy cooperative DMK is expanding its range plant-based products. With its MILRAM brand, DMK is now also selling vegan puddings, a cocoa drink and a rice dessert. Vegan products in other important categories will follow by the first quarter of the new year at the latest.

In Germany since retailers have announced no longer want to sell milk from year-round tied cows, some dairies have started paying lower farmers milk prices for milk from tied barns compared to loose house systems and combined housing which is a combination of tied barns and pasturing or free walking area.

In Germany the Bavarian Milk Industry (BMI) and the France headquartered private dairy Lactalis have signed an agreement on the sale of BMI’s fresh produce business with the product groups fresh milk, yoghurt, quark, cream, ayran and others, as well as the production site in Würzburg (Bavaria) to Lactalis. The contract includes the takeover of some regional brands. This division generates annual sales of around 200 million euro. Through this takeover, Lactalis wants a close and long-term partnership with the southern German milk producers to develop the market for regional products in the food retail sector, national food service and ethnic trade. Lactalis is the world’s biggest dairy. The German dairy cooperative BMI is one of the biggest German dairies with around 1200 member farms, processes 900 million kilograms of milk and over two billion kilograms of whey at seven production sites in Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt.

In Germany organizations representing agriculture, the dairy industry and the food retail have succeeded in defining the animal welfare program QM+, which since April 1, can be found on dairy products in retail stores. The new QM+ label from QM-Milch e.V. stands for strictly controlled animal welfare in the cow barn. It corresponds with more space and welfare for the animals. Participation in QM+ proves that additional criteria for animal welfare and animal health are actually met on the farms and are strictly controlled by independent certification agencies. The aim is to constantly improve animal welfare in order to make it even more of a basis for action for farmers. If their milk is QM+ certified, they will receive an animal welfare bonus of the order of 1.2 eurocent per kilogram milk.

In Belgium a few weeks ago, the private dairy Hollebeekhoeve got bankrupt. The dairy annually processes around 20 million litres of milk into consumer milk and yoghurt under its own brand and for supermarket own brands. The company already suffered a loss in 2020, partly as a result of substantial investments to become the first dairy company in Belgium to become climate neutral. The losses continued to rise in 2021. The Holland headquartered private dairy Royal A-ware has now bought the installations of Hollebeekhoeve. Affected employees are offered the opportunity to join A-ware. Royal A-ware has been active in Belgium for a number of years already. It has a site in Merchtem where fresh cream, whipped cream, culinary (cooking) cream, plant-based cream, ice cream and milkshake mixes are produced. Since November 2021, Royal A-ware is producing milk powder in Aalter.

In the Belgian northern part Flanders, the main dairy area of Belgium,in 2021 the average somatic cell count of tank milk samples was 192220 cells per millilitre, almost the same as in 2020.

In Holland the dairy cooperative Royal FrieslandCampina will move its Dutch production and logistics for fresh-daily dairy in Rotterdam to its production for fresh-daily dairy in Maasdam and will also close two milk powder towers in Leeuwarden. As a result of the closed milk powder towers in Leeuwarden 55 out of 750 jobs will be lost and in Rotterdam 142 jobs will be lost while 40 new jobs will be created in Maasdam.

In Holland in 2021 75 percent of the dairy farms produced more manure than could be used on own land according to the application standards for nitrogen and phosphate. In 2020, the share of dairy farms with a manure surplus was still 79 percent, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands.

In Holland research of Wageningen University & Research shows that feeding fresh grass to cows, especially through grazing, can reduce the emission of ammonia 10 to 30 percent. Among others this is caused by that cows graze younger grass than that is mowed for fresh feeding as well for making silage.

In Holland current 800 dairy farms produce milk under the label ‚On the Way to PlanetProof‘. PlanetProof milk meets strict requirements for animals, nature and climate and farms receive a bonus.

On Dutch dairy farms in 2021 the costs of feed increased 1.37 euro or 13 percent to 12.24 euro per 100 kilogram milk, according to the accountancy company Alfa.

In Great Britain the number of dairy cows totaled 1.64 million head on January 1, 2022. This is 34000 head or 2.0 percent less compared to one year before and continues the long-term trend of declining. However: the number of youngstock (<2 years) is increasing already two years with on January 1, 2022 a number of 933000 head, which is 45000 or 5.1 percent more than one year before. (Source: BCMS)

The United Kingdom trade balance for all dairy products was negative in volume terms in 2021, following two years of a small surplus. Including shipments of unprocessed milk, there was a deficit of 68000 tonnes in 2021, compared to a surplus of 53000 tonnes in 2020. Liquid milk has a big influence on the dairy trade balance, but the volume mostly comes from raw milk crossing the Irish border for processing. This category has the largest trade surplus, but this shrank in 2021, mainly due to higher imports. The largest contribution in the shift from surplus to deficit was in yogurt. The trade deficit in yogurt increased, driven by lower exports and higher imports than in 2020. Additionally, cream went back into a slight trade deficit in 2021, having been in surplus in 2020. Milk powders (SMP and WMP) maintained a trade surplus, but it was lower than in 2020. This was driven by lower exports, especially to the EU, which were likely hindered by post-EU-exit regulations. On a more positive note, the volume trade balances of butter, cheese, and concentrated milk all improved, with smaller trade deficits in 2021 than in 2020. Cheese had the most notable improvement, reducing the trade deficit by 49000 tonnes. Both imports and exports of cheese fell compared to 2020, but imports more so. This was most likely due to the foodservice sector still dealing with lockdowns and low demand through the year. (Source: AHDB)