This chapter contains information on the number of dairy cows and domestic milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers.
In the years leading up to and since the abolition of the milk quota in 2015, a steady year-on-year increase in the number of dairy cows on Irish farms was observed.
The number of dairy cows increased by 34.8% in the period 2013 to 2020. The number of dairy cows in 2020 was 1,567,700, an increase of 4.2% on 2019.
In 2020, Co. Cork had the largest number of dairy cows at 390,900 head while Co. Leitrim had the smallest number of dairy cows at 1,900 head.
Link to release: Crops and Livestock
| X-axis label | Domestic Milk Intake | Butter | Skimmed Milk Powder |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 5422.7 | 152.1 | 49.5 |
| 2014 | 5648.5 | 166.4 | 70.6 |
| 2015 | 6395.2 | 187.5 | 99.1 |
| 2016 | 6653.8 | 198.7 | 117.7 |
| 2017 | 7262.5 | 223.7 | 119.8 |
| 2018 | 7585 | 237.8 | 133.8 |
| 2019 | 7986.2 | 250.8 | 142.5 |
| 2020 | 8293 | 264.7 | 150.1 |
The domestic milk intake increased by 52.9% over the period 2013 to 2020.
In 2020, the estimated domestic milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers was 8,293 million litres, an increase of 3.8% on 2019.
Skimmed milk powder production increased from 49,500 tonnes in 2013 to 150,100 tonnes in 2020 representing a 203.2% increase.
In 2013, 152,100 tonnes of butter was produced which rose to 264,700 tonnes in 2020 (74.0% increase).
Visit tables AKM01-AKM03 on PxStat
Link to release: Milk Statistics
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