Uruguay's Dairy Herd Grows Despite Production Drop
Sourse: dairynews.today
The Uruguayan dairy herd has expanded, but milk production has declined compared to the previous year.
As of June 30, 2025, Uruguay's milking herd grew while the category of heifers saw a significant decline, raising concerns about herd replacement. Preliminary data from the SNIG shows that the dairy cattle stock was around 677,000 heads, slightly lower than the previous year by 1%. There was a 2% increase in the number of milking cows, totaling 299,616 heads, but heifers over 2 years of age, a key category for herd replacement, decreased by 9.8%. Additionally, there was a reduction in dairy producers, with 2,391 reported, signifying the loss of about 90 farms in the last year. The area dedicated to dairy farming also fell, with a loss of about 11,000 hectares compared to June 2024. The annual milk production was approximately 2.219 billion liters, indicating growth in milking capacity but a potential reduction in replacement animal availability, posing future risks if not reversed.
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