According to the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food, fewer and fewer people in Germany are eating milk, cheese and butter. What are the reasons for that?
People in Germany consume less milk, cheese and butter. As in the previous year, per capita consumption fell last year, according to preliminary figures published by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food.
According to the authorities, the reasons could be the slowly falling prices for milk and dairy products, changing eating habits and increasing sales of plant-based milk alternatives.
Cheese exports reach highest level since 1992
The consumption of drinking milk fell by almost one percent to just under 46 kilos per capita. Compared to the previous year, production fell by almost one percent to around 4.2 million tons. Per capita consumption of cheese also fell, falling by 816 grams to 23.8 kilos. Cheese production increased from 2.64 million to 2.66 million tons. Cheese exports reached 1.41 million tons, the highest value since 1992.
Butter, milk fat and milk fat products were consumed less. Consumption per person fell by 1.4 percent to 5.6 kilos. Production increased by 1.8 percent to 481,000 tons.
The number of dairy cows fell again in 2023. Compared to the previous year, it fell by 2.5 percent to 3.7 million animals. The number of dairy cow holdings is also declining. It fell by more than four percent to 50,581. The average milk production per cow per year increased from 8,504 to 8,780 kilos.
Source: Stern
