EU milk prices fall 19.7% as milk collection rises 3%

The average farm-gate price stood at 42.8 cents per kg in August, 8.3% below its five-year average. Commission estimates put the monthly increase at 2.3% for August, followed by a further 0.9% rise to 43.11 cents per kg in September. Hungary registered the largest annual price reduction, at 29%. Prices dropped by 26% in both Czechia and Lithuania, 25% in Slovakia and 24% in both Germany and the Netherlands. Only Cyprus recorded a price above its level a year earlier.

August collections of cow’s milk were 0.6% higher than in August 2025, with increases across 19 member states. Greece led with growth of 13.3%, ahead of Slovakia at 9.6% and Denmark at 4%. Romania recorded a 13.6% contraction, Estonia an 11.7% fall and Ireland an 8.4% decline.

Organic milk represented 3.2% of all EU milk collected during August. Austria had the largest organic share, at 16.5% of its collections. Denmark followed with 9.7%, while Sweden’s share was 9.5%.

Manufacturing output increased across several dairy categories during January–August 2026. Skimmed milk powder production grew by 9%, butter output by 7.7% and cheese by 3.6%. Fermented milk products registered a 5.1% increase, while drinking milk rose by 1.1% and cream by 0.1%. Output declined in two categories: whole milk powder fell by 4.4%, and condensed milk by 3.7%.

Commodity price movements differed over the four-week period ending October 18. Skimmed milk powder gained 9.1% and whole milk powder 2.8%. Whey powder and the cheeses gouda, edam and emmental also posted modest increases. Butter fell by 3.8% over the same period. Compared with a year earlier, skimmed milk powder prices were 54.6% higher, while whey powder prices had increased by 52.3%.

For January–July 2026, EU dairy shipments measured in milk-equivalent volume were 11.9% above the corresponding 2025 period. Their value exceeded €9.47 billion, but was 1.5% lower than a year earlier, according to the Commission.

Export growth varied by product. Butteroil shipments increased by 40% and butter by 38%, while skimmed milk powder exports rose by 14% and cheese by 6%. Whey powder shipments decreased by 4%. Demand for selected EU dairy products increased in China, the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as in several markets across the Middle East and Asia.