Stronger milk prices and an increase in cow numbers resulted in a 458m litre lift in output last year. Milk intakes by creameries reached a record level of 8,754m litres.
This represents an increase of 5.5% when compared with 2020. Data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) indicates that the volume of milk processed by creameries increased from 8,296m litres in 2020 to 8,754m litres in 2021.
Figures from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) also show that the national dairy herd in June 2021 stood at 1,603,721 cows. This is 2.3% higher or 35,776 more cows than in 2020 when the herd numbered 1,567,945.
Butter production increased by almost 4% in 2021 according to the CSO, with output totalling an estimated 275,000t. This is an increase from 265,000t in 2020.
Cheese output was also stronger last year, increasing from 278,000t to 285,000t.
In contrast, provisional figures suggest that production of skim milk powder dropped back marginally in 2021, falling from150,000t in 2020 to 148,000t.
LSL News