Dairy farm count in Thuringia decreasing - Dairy farm count in Thuringia drops.
Decrease in Thuringia's Dairy Farms: An Overview
The landscape of dairy farming in Thuringia has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade. As revealed by the Thuringian Ministry of Economics, the number of dairy farms in the region dropped dramatically from 500 in 2013 to just 280 in 2023.
Simultaneously, while the overall number of dairy cows has decreased by approximately 24 percent over the same period, reaching 82,900 creatures in 2023, the trend does not mirror the decline in the number of farms.
The Thuringian Farmers' Association, in a statement to the German Press Agency, explained that this downward trend mirrors a nationwide phenomenon. Many farmers are either abandoning dairy farming or expanding their operations through larger stalls and increased automation, often due to the agricultural sector's acute shortage of skilled labor. As a result, fewer yet larger farms sustain more animals, leading to greater milk production.
Despite the diminished number of farms, the volume of milk produced decreased by only around 21 percent over nine years, reaching 770,000 tonnes last year. This increase in milk production per operation can be attributed to technological advances, better management practices, genetic improvements in dairy cattle, economies of scale, and investment in infrastructure.
Thuringia's organic dairy farming sector exhibits an interesting contrast. Almost no impact of organic dairy farming for organic products is noticeable in Thuringia, according to the Thuringian Farmers' Association. In 2023, only 20 out of the approximately 4,890 organic farms nationwide with dairy cows were located in Thuringia, and this number has remained relatively unchanged throughout the past decade. Together, these Thuringian organic farms house about 1,800 dairy cows.
The scarcity of dairies in the country, coupled with the strict separation of conventional and organic production, presents a substantial challenge for organic farming in the region, as suggested by Ritter, the milk specialist of the Thuringian Farmers' Association.
The Thuringian Farmers' Association is emphasizing the need for community aid to support dairy farmers in Thuringia, as they navigate challenges such as skill shortages and the high costs of infrastructure. This aid could potentially boost the industry's finance and encourage sustainable milk production.
Furthermore, the organic milk products sector in Thuringia is missing opportunities for growth due to the scarcity of dairies and the strict separation of conventional and organic production, calling for strategic changes in the industry to foster the expansion of organic milk production in the region.
