Eurostat figures show region’s output is greater than Denmark or Pourtugal.
The Ireland South region is the top dairy producer in Europe ahead of renowned dairy and cheese producers like Brittany in France and Italy’s Lombardy region.
Data compiled by the EU’s statistical body Eurostat show that in 2021, the Ireland South region produced the highest value of milk in 2021 at €2.4bn. The region was followed by Brittany with €2bn and Lombardy in Italy with €1.8bn.
The Ireland South region covers Munster and the counties of Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford. According to Eurostat, the dairy output of Ireland South is greater than that of Denmark, Sweden, Belgium and Portugal.
Eurostat said an additional five regions generated milk to the value of at least €1bn; Pays-de-la-Loire and Basse-Normandie in France, Weser-Ems and Schleswig-Holstein in Germany and Galicia in Spain. Data from the Central Statistic Office (CSO) show that in 2021, Cork had the largest dairy cattle population of 397,000 followed by Tipperary with 187,000 and Limerick with 124,000.
Approximately 8.7 billion litres of milk was collected in that year. Bord Bia said dairy exports reached a record value of €6.8bn last year representing 33% growth versus 2021 with Ireland shipping more than 1.7 million tonnes of product shipped to over 130 markets worldwide.
Eurostat said that dairy in Ireland South accounts for 43.5% of the region’s total agricultural output. While not producing the same level of dairy value as Irelands South, the Dutch region of Friesland at 47.3% had the highest share of dairy as a percentage of its agricultural output.
