September 21, 2023

Dairy cow population in Switzerland plunges by 11,000 in July, hitting record low

Switzerland's dairy cow population is at an all-time low.

In July, there were 514,496 dairy cows in Switzerland, down 11,000 from last year, the Agricultural Information Service (LID) reported on September 15. Although the domestic industry is accustomed to a decline, the herds have remained relatively stable over the past four years, according to LID.

Milk producers attributed the decline down mainly to increased production costs due to war, inflation and the effects of the pandemic.

Despite the significant decline in cows, Switzerland's milk production in the first half of 2023 was slightly higher from the previous year, according to SMP figures.

- swissinfo