Trends in dairy farming and milk production: the case of the United Kingdom and New Zealand

Publication date: 31/03/2017
Extent: 24 pages

Contributions by: Alison Bailey, Lincoln University, New Zealand

Chapter synopsis: This chapter reviews the importance of dairy farming to the rural economies of the United Kingdom and New Zealand. It begins by assessing global milk production, considering producer and cow numbers, productivity and trade. It then turns to an examination of the situation in the European Union (EU), which as a whole is the largest milk producer in the world. Marketing structures, production, consumption and trade within this region are reviewed. The next section looks at the United Kingdom (a member state of the European Union at the time of writing). The United Kingdom is the third largest milk producer in the European Union and thirtieth in the world. Finally, the case of New Zealand is reviewed in detail. New Zealand has an almost similar land area to that of the United Kingdom (27 million and 24 million hectares, respectively). However, it is the thirteenth largest milk producer in the world and also the world’s largest exporter of milk products.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2016.0005.35