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NI milk production totalled 2.53bn litres during 2021, a new record high point.
Total milk produced in 2021 was up 3.7%, or 85m litres year on year, making it the largest annual increase in five years.
Since 2016, NI milk production has increased by 14.5%, taking it from 2.19bn litres to current levels.
Much of the increase has been driven by higher yields, with the NI dairy herd expanding by just over 1,000 head to stand at 318,372 in June 2021.
This means the average dairy cow yielded just over 7,900 litres last year, up from an average yield of 6,900 litres/cow in 2016.
2021 milk production in Britain was marginally lower year on year at 12.46bn litres, down from 12.56bn litres in 2020
Longer term, over the past decade, NI milk production has grown by 28% or 556m litres from the 1.98bn litres recorded in 2011.
Back then, the NI dairy herd totalled 282,500 head, with average annual yield at 7,000 litres/cow.
In contrast to NI, 2021 milk production in Britain was marginally lower year on year at 12.46bn litres, down from 12.56bn litres in 2020.
According to market analysts at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), from April 2021 to March 2022, production is forecast to be down a further 1.2% on the previous year.
Meanwhile, DAERA statistics show the average milk price paid to farmers in 2021 was the highest on record at 31.53p/l, a marked increase from the 27.08p/l recorded during the previous year.
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