Dairy industry in Germany
Milk and butter prices expected to continue to be high in 2025
Milk and butter were particularly expensive last year. But producers are happy about higher prices per liter – and hope that things will continue like this in 2025.
Consumers had to dig deeper into their pockets for some dairy products last year. A packet of butter cost an average of around 2.40 euros in 2024, more than ever before, as the dairy industry association (MIV) announced. Over the course of the year, producers received an average of around 48 cents per kilo of milk – the second highest price per liter ever.
“We hope that we can carry this momentum into the new year,” said the chairman of the Dairy Industry Association (MIV), Detlef Latka. Persistently high energy prices continued to put a strain on businesses. Nevertheless, the industry is optimistic about the year that has just begun – despite the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease. So there is no relaxation in sight at the supermarket checkout.
There is no evidence of further virus spread
Latka emphasized that there is currently no evidence that the virus, which is highly contagious for cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle or pigs, is spreading further. Pasteurized milk can already be delivered again to important markets such as Great Britain, Singapore, the USA and Japan. Nevertheless, the mood remains tense.
While rising milk prices have led to higher milk production in previous years, this effect is now missing, said the association chairman. The amount of milk last year fell by 0.5 percent compared to the previous year. One of several reasons is that due to legal requirements regarding stable sizes, the stables can no longer be filled with additional dairy cows at short notice in order to increase production.
dpa
Source: Stern
