Production growth in France, Germany, and Poland: Positive but slowing down

Milk production in France, Germany, and Poland continued to expand in January, although growth rates moderated slightly compared to the strong increases observed in December. Improvements in milk composition supported higher milk solids availability in France and Germany, while Poland recorded a slight weakening in nutritional content. Ample milk output continued weighing on prices across the three countries, although organic milk showed stronger price dynamics.Milk production in France reached 2.14 million tons in January, reflecting an increase of 1.8% over the previous month and 6.5% compared to the previous year. While production remains under expansion, the annual growth rate slowed slightly from the 8% increase observed in December.Milk composition improved marginally. The fat content reached 4.26%, while protein content stood at 3.39%. Fat increased by 0.01 percentage units compared to the previous month, while protein remained stable month-over-month. Nonetheless, both nutrients recorded gains compared to the previous year. Supported by the improved nutritional content, milk solids output increased by 7.3% year-over-year to 163,585 tons, representing a milder slowdown compared to the stronger growth observed in December.Farm gate milk prices averaged €48.62 per 100 kilo in January, declining by 2.78% compared to the previous month and 3.22% compared to the previous year. In contrast, the organic segment showed stronger momentum. Organic milk prices averaged €55.84 per 100 kilo, increasing by 0.09% month-over-month and 6.52% year-over-year, indicating a clearly more resilient price trend than in the conventional segment.GermanyIn Germany, milk production totaled 2.85 million tons in January, representing a 7% increase compared to the previous year. Production also increased by 1.5% compared to the previous month, in line with seasonal production trends. However, the annual growth rate slowed slightly from the 7.8% increase recorded in December.Milk composition continued to improve. Fat content increased to 4.27%, rising by 0.02 percentage units compared to the previous month and 0.04 percentage units compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, protein content remained stable month-over-month at 3.58% but increased by 0.01 percentage units compared to the previous year.Considering these nutritional gains, milk solids output totaled 223,768 tons, reflecting a 7.7% increase over the previous year. Unlike liquid milk production, milk solids output did not show signs of slowing compared to December.Farm gate milk prices declined sharply to €42.5 per 100 kilo, their lowest monthly average in more than two years. This represents a decrease of 8.07% compared to the previous month and 22.23% compared to the previous year. In contrast, organic milk prices followed a different trajectory, increasing by 7.18% year-over-year to €68.1 per 100 kilo, indicating stronger price dynamics in the organic segment.PolandPoland reported milk production of 1.19 million tons in January, growing by 2.3% compared to the previous month and 3.4% compared to the previous year. As in France and Germany, production growth slowed slightly from the 4.4% annual increase observed in December.In contrast to the other two countries, milk composition weakened slightly. Fat content reached 4.17%, increasing by 0.01 percentage units compared to the previous month but declining by 0.01 percentage units compared to the previous year. Protein content stood at 3.47%, remaining stable year-over-year but declining by 0.01 percentage units compared to the previous month.Although both nutrients weakened compared to the previous year, the decline was less pronounced than in December. As a result, the slowdown in valuable milk solids production remained relatively mild.Overall, milk solids output reached 87,733 tons, representing a 3.2% increase compared to the previous year. Farm gate milk prices averaged €45.23 per 100 kilo, their lowest level in more than two years and 15.98% lower than the previous year. Organic milk prices also declined, falling 4.83% year-over-year to €62.33 per 100 kilo, with price movements in the organic segment continuing to fluctuate without a clear trend.