Wedoany.com Report-Dec.1, In 2024, dairy farms across the European Union produced 161.8 million tonnes of raw milk, an increase of 0.9 million tonnes compared to 2023 and 12.1 million tonnes higher than the volume recorded in 2014, according to Eurostat data. The figures confirm a consistent upward trend in EU raw milk output over the past decade.

Of the total production, 150.8 million tonnes were delivered to dairies for processing into various dairy products. The largest share of this milk was directed toward cheese and butter manufacturing.

Cheese production consumed 59.9 million tonnes of whole milk and 17.0 million tonnes of skimmed milk, resulting in 10.8 million tonnes of cheese. Butter production required 44.2 million tonnes of whole milk and yielded 2.3 million tonnes of butter.

Germany maintained its position as the leading EU dairy processor in several categories. It accounted for 18.8 percent of total drinking milk production, 27.1 percent of fermented milk products (such as yoghurt), 20.6 percent of butter, and 22.5 percent of cheese output.

Spain ranked second in drinking milk production with a 15.2 percent share, followed by France at 12.7 percent. In the fermented milk products segment, the Netherlands held second place with 16.8 percent, while Poland contributed 10.4 percent.

France secured the second-largest share in both butter (17.2 percent) and cheese (17.8 percent) production. Ireland ranked third in butter output, representing 14.8 percent of the EU total.

The steady growth in raw milk supply has supported increased processing capacity across the bloc, enabling the dairy sector to meet both domestic and export demand for a wide range of products. The distribution of production continues to reflect the specialised strengths of individual member states, with Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, and Ireland remaining key contributors to the overall EU dairy industry.