UK milk deliveries fell as heat stress and Bluetongue hit dairy herds
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) reported that raw cow’s milk collected from British dairy farms between April and June totalled 4,164m litres. The volume was 1.1% below the level recorded in the same quarter a year earlier.
AHDB linked the lower supply to severe heat stress, limited growth of forage and the emergence of Bluetongue virus. It said the reduction in milk was already affecting the manufacture of dairy products, including cheese and butter. The organisation expects supplies to decline further in the coming months, with the pace depending on milk prices, the effect of Bluetongue, weather conditions and the availability of forage during the winter.
Cheese production fell by 2.3% year on year in the second quarter. AHDB said cheese supplies had remained below the previous year’s level since the beginning of 2026, with lower milk availability and subsequent summer heatwaves affecting output.
Imports of cheese from New Zealand rose by almost 2,600 tonnes. The increase followed the United Kingdom’s free-trade agreement with New Zealand, which provided New Zealand dairy products with improved access to the British market. At the same time, British cheese exports continued to expand: shipments reached a record level for a second quarter, rising 15.3% from a year earlier.
The largest increases in cheese exports went to European Union markets. Volumes rose by 1,800 tonnes to the Netherlands, 1,600 tonnes to France, 1,000 tonnes to Belgium, 600 tonnes to Germany, and 300 tonnes each to Austria and Spain. Exports also increased by 200 tonnes to both Ireland and Turkey. Outside the EU, shipments grew by 1,000 tonnes to China, 400 tonnes to Singapore and 100 tonnes to Canada. Higher exports were also recorded to Libya, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and South Africa.
Butter availability declined for a fourth consecutive quarter, falling 7.6% overall. Production was down 4.3% year on year, while imports decreased by 8.4%. Exports rose by 7%, supported by prices that AHDB said were competitive in the global market, with higher shipments to Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Libya, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
AHDB said China was showing signs of renewed demand and that imports there were expected to strengthen in the coming months. It also noted that growth in dairy consumption was being driven mainly by protein-rich products and consumer demand for foods regarded as healthy, nutritious and functional. The organisation added that geopolitical factors could affect trade flows and the availability of dairy products.
