Raw milk purchase price rose nearly 50% last year

Provisional data compiled by the Central Statistical Bureau and published March 24 of Latvia show that in 2022 the annual average purchase price of raw milk grew by 153 euros per tonne (EUR/t) or 48.2 % reaching 471 EUR/t.

The lowest average purchase price of raw milk was recorded in January (417 EUR/t) and the highest in August (498 EUR/t). Gradual price reduction started in September, and it had dropped to 483 EUR/t in December.

In 2022 total raw milk (including goat's milk) output constituted 975.3 thousand t, which is 16.9 thousand t or 1.7 % fewer than in 2021. Out of the total volume of raw milk produced, 810.9 thousand t or 83.3 % were purchased by milk procurement and processing enterprises (812.6 thousand t or 82.1 % in 2021).

A slight upturn in the milk production was observed in Vidzeme (of 2.3 thousand t or 0.9 %) while the sharpest downturn in Latgale (7.8 thousand t or 4.0 %).

The number of dairy cows declined from 131.2 thousand at the end of 2021 to 127.8 thousand at the end of 2022 or by 2.6 %. The most notable drop in the number of dairy cows was recorded in agricultural holdings keeping 5 dairy cows or fewer (of 1.4 thousand or 11.4 %) while in holdings keeping 300 dairy cows or more it grew by 1.9 thousand or 6.1 %. Downturn in the dairy cow number was observed in all regions; the most dramatic in Zemgale – of 0.9 thousand.

The average milk yield per dairy cow grew by 130 kg or 1.8 %, reaching 7 492 kg annually.

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In 2022 meat output in Latvia grew: 94.2 thousand t of meat were produced, which is 0.8 thousand t or 0.8 % more than in 2021. An upturn was registered in the output of pork (2.3 %), poultry (2.2 %), mutton and goat meat (1.0 %), while output of beef and veal fell by 6.5 %.

Regional breakdown of the data shows the highest meat output increase in Kurzeme (of 0.5 thousand t or 6.3 %) and largest reduction in Latgale (0.6 thousand t or 8.4 %).

Output of livestock products

 

2021

20222

Change, % (2022/2021)

Meat (slaughter weight), thousand t

93.4

94.2

0.8

beef and veal

17.0

15.9

-6.5

pork

37.8

38.7

2.3

mutton and goat meat

0.8

0.9

1.0

poultry

37.6

38.4

2.2

other

0.1

0.3

78.7

Raw milk (incl. goat milk), thousand t

992.2

975.3

-1.7

Eggs, million pcs

825.6

872.2

5.6

Pork and poultry took the largest share of the meat output. The greatest increase was registered in the share of poultry – from 34.7 % in 2015 to 40.8 % in 2022. The share of pork in the total meat output fell to 41.1 % (42.0 % in 2015) while of beef and veal to 16.9 % (22.0 % in 2015).

At the end of 2022, compared to the year before, the number of pigs and sheep fell by 19.1 thousand or 5.8 % and 3.0 thousand or 3.3 %, respectively.

Cattle number reduced slightly – from 393.5 thousand at the end of 2021 to 391.4 thousand at the end of 2022 (drop of 2.1 thousand or 0.5 %).

The number of goats and horses, in turn, grew slightly – by 2.5 % and 3.3 %, respectively.

Livestock number

(thousand, at the end of the year)

 

20211

20221, 2

Change, % (2022/2021)

Cattle

393.5

391.4

-0.5

dairy cows

131.2

127.8

-2.6

other cows

61.4

62.9

2.4

Pigs

327.0

307.9

-5.8

Sheep

90.3

87.3

-3.3

Goats

11.4

11.7

2.5

Horses

8.4

8.7

3.3

Poultry

5 857.7

5 744.3

-1.9

laying hens

3 395.2

3 343.5

-1.5

 

At the end of 2022 the number of laying hens dropped by 51.7 thousand or 1.5 %. During the year, 872.2 million eggs were produced, which is 46.6 million or 5.6 % more than in 2021. Hens’ eggs accounted for 98 % of all eggs produced (97 % in 2021). One laying hen on average produced 307 eggs, which is 2.7 % more than in 2021.

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