Milk production continues to decrease, egg production ups

Milk production totalled 2,305 million litres in 2019, which is 1% less than in the previous year, according to the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).

The average producer price of milk, however, remained roughly at the previous year’s level, said a Luke press release.

The increase in egg production continued, and the producer price increasing slightly.

“Milk production decreased by 1% from the 2018 level, totalling 2,305 million litres in 2019. This was the fourth year in a row when the production volume decreased. Dairies received 2,262 million litres of milk. The production of organic milk continued to increase, totalling 74 million litres,” said Sanna Vuorisalo, senior statistician at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).

Last year, the number of dairy farms decreased by roughly 470 farms, with the total number of farms being 5,783 at the end of the year. The number of organic dairy farms was 142.

Similarly, the number of dairy cows decreased to less than 259,000 in December, down by 2% from the previous year.

In 2019, dairies paid an average price of 38.61 cents per litre to producers, being roughly the same as in the previous year. The average producer price of milk has remained relatively stable for the past three years.

“Last year, the average producer price decreased at the beginning of the year, while being higher than in the previous year starting from spring,” said Sirpa Karppinen, senior statistician at Luke.

Last year’s egg production was above the previous year’s level, increasing to nearly 76 million kilos. Production increased for the seventh year in succession.

The volume of eggs produced in enriched battery cages and barn henhouses decreased, while that of eggs produced in free-range and organic henhouses increased.

A total of 58% of eggs were produced in enriched battery cages, 32% in barn henhouses and 2% in free-range henhouses, while 8% came from organic poultry farms.

Last year, an average of EUR 1.11 per kilo was paid for class A eggs, up by 2% from 2018.

Compared with the previous year, the price of eggs produced in enriched battery cages and barn henhouses increased by 2%. The price of free-range eggs was close to the previous year’s level, while the price of organic eggs decreased by a little more than 3%.