June 9, 2011

UK's milk production has passed its seasonal peak three weeks earlier as compared with the previous year, and is already declining, according to provisional figures from DEFRA.

In the two weeks to May 21, UK deliveries averaged 39.9 million litres a day-a drop of 1.2m litres a day compared with the first week in May.

"We can now say that production has peaked for the 2011/12 milk year,"says a report by DairyCo. Although the UK peak was 1.1% higher than last year, the GB peak was 0.2% down.

Interest will now focus on how deliveries continue into the summer. "While increasing feed prices continue to be prominent, with feed wheat prices at GBP200/tonne (US$328.29) and looking to continue to do so into the autumn, some dairy farmers will need to look at management of grassland."