Domestic milk intake in Ireland dropped by 34 million litres in July 2024, with decreased butter production and skimmed milk powder output, while protein content rose slightly.
In a recent report released on September 6, 2024, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) revealed a significant drop in domestic milk intake across Ireland. The intake by milk processors and co-operatives was estimated at 980.7 million litres in July 2024, marking a decline of 34 million litres or 3.3% compared to July 2023. This figure is also down by 42.1 million litres or 4.1% from July 2022.
The CSO’s data also highlighted a decrease in fat content for July 2024, which was 4.09%, down from 4.14% in July 2023. However, there was a slight increase in protein content, rising from 3.47% to 3.50% over the same period.
Butter production experienced a decline, falling from 31,800 tonnes in July 2023 to 29,300 tonnes in July 2024. Similarly, the production of skimmed milk powder (SMP) dropped from 20,100 tonnes in July 2023 to 14,500 tonnes in July 2024. The total milk sold for human consumption also decreased marginally by 0.9 million litres, from 42.3 million litres in July 2023 to 41.4 million litres in July 2024.
For the period from January to July 2024, the total domestic milk intake was 5.33 billion litres, which represents a decline of 279.8 million litres or 5% compared to the same period in 2023 and a decrease of 330.2 million litres or nearly 6% from January to July 2022.
In other dairy news, Ornua’s monthly Purchase Price Index (PPI) for August 2024 increased to 144.7, up from 140.8 in the previous month. This change reflects a higher indicative return of 42.5 cents per litre, inclusive of VAT, for milk with 3.6% fat and 3.3% protein. The Ornua Value Payment for August amounted to €7 million, equating to 3.9% of gross purchases. Ornua also reported that the estimate of member co-operatives’ processing costs remained stable at 9.0 cents per litre.
