Annual production and utilisation of milk on agricultural holdings, 2023

Less cows’ milk produced
 
Around 605,000 tonnes of cows’ milk was produced in 2023, i.e. 3.2% or around 20,000 tonnes less than a year earlier. Cows were milked on around 8,100 agricultural holdings. Around 4,300 agricultural holdings were producing milk for either sale by contract (to dairies or registered purchasers) or direct sale. On the remaining 3,800 agricultural holdings milk was mostly used as feed or for food (self-supply).

The majority of cows’ milk is delivered to dairies and other registered purchasers

The quantity of delivered cows’ milk represented more than 92% of all cows’ milk produced in Slovenia. The total quantity of delivered cows’ milk (around 559,000 tonnes) decreased by around 16,100 tonnes (or 2.8%) compared to 2022. In 2023, cows’ milk was delivered from fewer than 4,200 agricultural holdings (230 fewer than in the previous year). Milk production is mainly being abandoned on farms with smaller milk production. In the last five years, the number of farms with milk delivery has been decreasing by about 5% annually. Also due to this reason, the average quantity of delivered milk went up by 2.4% compared to the previous year and amounted to 134 tonnes of delivered milk per farm in 2023. 

Agricultural holdings from which cows' milk was delivered to dairies and registered purchasers, by size classes of delivered milk, Slovenia


Milk delivered from farms decreased the most in the Pomurska statistical region

From agricultural holdings in the Pomurska statistical region delivery of cows’ milk decreased the most (by more than 6% compared to the previous year). From 2007 on, the quantity of delivered milk in this region decreased by more than a quarter. The quantity of delivered milk decreased by more than 4% also in the Primorsko-notranjska statistical region and in the Goriška statistical region. The only statistical region with increased milk deliveries was Obalno-kraška; however, from 2007 on milk deliveries have decreased by more than 71% in this region. Detailed data on the structure of producers of delivered cows’ milk and deliveries by statistical region are available in the SiStat Database.

The quantity of cows’ milk intended for animal feed increased slightly

In 2023, around 32,100 tonnes of milk was used as feed or 1% more than in the previous year. The amount of milk used as animal feed has been steadily declining over the long term. 

Less than 1% of all cows’ milk was used for home consumption 
 
Less than 6,000 tonnes of cows’ milk was used for home consumption on agricultural holdings. The quantity of milk used for home consumption decreased by almost 19% compared to 2022.

Less than 0.6% of cows’ milk sold directly on the farms
 
Only around 3,500 tonnes of cows’ milk was sold directly from farms. This is more than 1% less than in the previous year. Both the number of farms on which milk is milked for direct sale as well as the quantity of this milk have been declining since 2004. 

Significantly lower production of milk products on agricultural holdings
 
Around 4,800 tonnes of cows’ milk (0.8% of total milk production) was used for the production of milk products in 2023, which is more than 37% less than in the previous year.
 
The production of goats’ milk down, of ewes’ milk up
 
According to our estimates, in 2023, more than 1,700 tonnes of goats’ milk was produced (a decrease of more than 21%). Ewes’ milk production amounted to almost 800 tonnes and increased by almost 29%. 

Tables with the latest data, including detailed data on delivered cows’ milk by statistical regions, are available in the SiStat Database.