The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has reported that the domestic milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers was estimated at just over one billion litres for April 2023.

This is a 3.3% decrease (-35.2m litres) when compared with April 2022.

The CSO found that the fat content rose from 4.04% in April 2022 to 4.13% in April 2023, but over the same period the protein content fell from 3.44% to 3.36%.

Butter production increased by a total of 1,600t, as it reached a high of 31,200t in April 2023.

Milk intake

Domestic milk intake for the period January to April 2023 was estimated at 2.3bn litres, a decline of 31.7m litres (-1.3%) when compared with the corresponding period for 2022.

Statistician in the agriculture section of the CSO Dr Grzegorz Glaczynski said: “The figures show a decrease in domestic milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers of 3.3% in April 2023 when compared with the same month in 2022.

"Domestic milk intake declined by 1.3% (31.7m litres) during the period January to April 2023, compared with the same period in 2022.”