PRODUCTION OF MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS, 2023

In 2023, as compared to 2022, the quantity of collected cows’ milk decreased by 7.0%. The quantity of ewes’ milk decreased by 20.2% and of goats’ milk by 11.6%.

Expressed in quantities, it means that in 2023, approximately 28 400 t less cows’ milk, 450 t less ewes’ milk and 411 t less goats’ milk were collected.

The quantity of whole milk imported by dairies in 2023, as compared to 2022, slightly decreased (by about 0.3%, i.e., by about 490 t), while the quantity of imported cream decreased by about 2 200 t (29.0%).

Compared to the previous year, the production of drinking milk decreased by about 24 900 t (9.0%), the production of cream by 344 t (1.1%) and of drinks with a milk base by about 2 200 t (11.1%), while the production of fermented products increased by 2 800 t (3.1%).

There was a decrease of 784 t (18.8%) in the production of butter and of 665 t (2.0%) in the total cows’ cheese production in 2023 compared to 2022. The production of cheese from ewes’ milk (pure) decreased by 8.6%, while the production of cheese from goats’ milk (pure) increased by 52.9%.

Regarding the production of other types of cheese, the production of medium-hard cheese decreased by 8.3% (1 074 t), of hard cheese by 23.2% (193 t), and of extra hard cheese by 82.0% (1 896 t). The production of soft cheese increased by 5.9%, of medium-soft cheese by 10.8%, and of fresh cheese by 14.9%.

As compared to the previous year, the milk fat content in collected cows’ milk decreased by 6.5%, in ewes’ milk by 20.3%, and in goats’ milk by 9.5%.

Regarding individual dairy products, the milk fat content in drinking milk decreased by 10.4%, in butter by 18.8% and in cheese from cows’ milk (pure) by 14.8%. The milk fat content increased in cream by 11.9% and in fermented products by 0.3%.

The cows’ milk protein content decreased in drinking milk by 11.0%, in cream by 1.1% and in cows’ cheese by 26.4%.

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Sources and methods of data collection

Data on the annual production of milk and dairy products are taken over from the Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food – the Central Laboratory for Milk Quality Control (SLKM). The data collected that way refer to the quantity of cows’, ewes’ and goats’ milk collected, milk fat and protein contents, the production of dairy products from cows’ milk and the foreign dairies’ trade in milk and dairy products.

The Laboratory processes the collected data and submits them, according to the previously defined deadlines and in suitable form, to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics for further processing.

The methodology for carrying out the survey on milk and dairy products is based on the Methodological Basis for Gathering Data on Milk and Dairy Products Statistics (NN, No. 42/13).

Coverage and comparability

There are about forty dairies operating in the Republic of Croatia for which the SLKM makes analysis of purchased milk and from which it collects data on the production. The coverage includes industrial and registered small dairies.

Confidentiality

Aggregated data from which individual reporting units could be identified (due to their small number) or to which the dominance rule or secondary confidentiality rule apply, according to the Official Statistics Act (NN, No. 25/20) and to the Ordinance on the Statistical Data Protection Method of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, are treated as confidential and therefore are not published.

Definitions

Drinking milk comprises raw milk, whole milk, skimmed milk, semi-skimmed milk and skimmed milk containing no additives.

Raw milk comprises milk that has not been heated beyond 40 °C or undergone any treatment that has an equivalent effect.

Whole milk (pasteurised, sterilised and uperised) comprises milk with fat content ≥ 3.5%, subject to heat treatment.

Semi-skimmed milk (pasteurised, sterilised and uperised) comprises milk with fat content 1.5% – 2.8%, subject to heat treatment only once.

Skimmed milk (pasteurised, sterilised and uperised) comprises milk with fat content < 1.5%, subject to one heat treatment.

Pasteurised milk – milk treated with high temperature (at least 72 °C for 15 seconds).

Sterilised milk – milk treated with high temperature (120 °C for 30 minutes) in hermetically sealed containers.

Uperised milk – milk treated with high temperature (135 °C for not less than 1 second).

Buttermilk is a residual product of the processing of milk or cream into butter.

Cream comprises cream for direct consumption, containing more or less than 29% of milk fat.

Fermented products include yoghurts, drinkable yoghurts, acidified milk and other fermented products either with or without additives.

Drinks with a milk base comprise products containing at least 50% milk equivalent (chocolate milk, buttermilk with additives, etc.).

Other fresh products comprise fresh milk products not elsewhere specified (mainly milk-based desserts).

Concentrated milk comprises milk obtained by partial elimination of water from whole milk, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk.

Powdered dairy products comprise products obtained by eliminating water from cream, all kinds of milk, buttermilk and fermented products.

Butter includes traditional butter, melted butter, butter oil and similar products containing more than 80% of milk fat.

Other yellow fat products comprise products based on butter with milk fat content of less than 80%.

Cheese includes fresh or matured, solid or semi-solid products, obtained by coagulating milk, cream, buttermilk or other products.

Processed cheese comprises products obtained by grinding, mixing, melting and emulsifying one or more varieties of cheese, with or without additives.

Whey includes liquid whey and whey in either powder or block form. It is a by-product obtained during the manufacture of cheese or casein.

Abbreviations

Symbols

Published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, Ilica 3, P. O. B. 80
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Persons responsible:
Edita Omerzo, Director of Spatial Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Director General

Prepared by:
Mario Valentić and Ana Pavetić

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