Dairy Statistics
Australian Dairy Industry
| Industry | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | Change from previous period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cows | 1.870 million | 1.810 million | 1.700 million |
(6.08%) |
| Dairy Farms | 8,844 | 8,055 | 7,953 | (1.27%) |
| Annual litres of milk per cow |
5,108 litres |
5,163 litres |
5,231 litres |
1.32% |
| National milk production | 10,089 million litres | 9,582 million litres | 9,223 million litres |
(3.99%) |
| Farmgate milk price | 33.1 cents/litre | 33.2 cents/litre | 49.6 cents/litre |
49.3% |
| Export value | $2.66 billion | $2.53 billion | $2.88 billion |
13.83% |
| Export share of production | 50% | 47% | 45% | (7.84%) |
Source: Dairy Australia
() = Negative
Note: 2007-08 state-by-state statistics are only available for milk production.
Note: cow numbers and yield per cow will not equal total production as there are other factors incorporated in these calculations.
Cow Numbers (000 head)
| Year | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | TAS | Total number of cows | Change from previous period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 (e) | 205 | 1,180 | 125 | 100 | 65 | 135 | 1,810 | (3.21%) |
| 2005-06 | 215 | 1,210 | 136 | 101 | 71 | 138 | 1,870 | (6.97%) |
| 2004-05 | 245 | 1,295 | 150 | 115 | 70 | 135 | 2,010 | (1.37%) |
| 2003-04 | 248 | 1,297 | 171 | 116 | 74 | 133 | 2,038 |
(0.59%) |
Source: Dairy Australia
(e) = Estimate
() = Negative
Dairy Farm Numbers
| Year | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | TAS | Total | Change from previous period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 (e) | 924 | 5,346 | 734 | 354 | 222 | 475 | 8,055 | (8.92%) |
| 2005-06 | 1,024 | 5,892 | 802 | 383 | 245 | 498 | 8,844 | (4.32%) |
| 2004-05 | 1,063 | 6,108 | 885 | 402 | 278 | 507 | 9,243 | (3.83%) |
| 2003-04 | 1,096 | 6,242 | 967 | 458 | 305 | 543 | 9,611 | (9.79%) |
Source: Dairy Australia
(e) = Estimate
() = Negative
Dairy Farm Exits
| Year | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | TAS | Total | Change from previous period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 (e) | 100 | 546 | 68 | 29 | 23 | 23 | 789 | (8.93%) |
| 2005-06 | 39 | 216 | 83 | 19 | 33 | 9 | 399 | (4.32%) |
| 2004-05 | 33 | 134 | 82 | 56 | 27 | 36 | 368 | (3.83%) |
| 2003-04 | 194 | 559 | 158 | 58 | 20 | 54 | 1,043 | (9.79%) |
Source: Dairy Australia
(e) = Estimate
Average annual milk production per cow (litres)
| Year | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | TAS | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 (e) | 5,200 | 5,236 | 4,011 | 6,497 | 5,028 | 4,679 | 5,163 |
| 2005-06 | 5,039 | 5,221 | 4,076 | 5,791 | 5,369 | 4,581 | 5,108 |
| 2004-05 | 4,925 | 5,101 | 3,735 | 5,862 | 5,418 | 4,497 | 4,983 |
| 2003-04 | 5,093 | 4,944 | 4,162 | 6,021 | 5,285 | 4,219 | 4,925 |
Source: Dairy Australia
(e) = Estimate
Milk Production (million litres)
| Year | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | TAS | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 (p) |
1,049 | 6,102 |
485 |
606 |
319 |
662 |
9,223 |
| 2006-07 |
1,105 | 6,297 | 534 | 655 | 349 | 642 |
9,582 |
| 2005-06 | 1,197 | 6,651 | 597 | 646 | 377 | 622 | 10,089 |
| 2004-05 | 1,218 | 6,613 | 619 | 679 | 398 | 600 | 10,127 |
| 2003-04 | 1,271 | 6,434 | 674 | 703 | 403 | 590 | 10,075 |
Source: Dairy Australia
(p) = Predicted
Weighted average of farmgate milk price
| Year | Cents per litre |
|---|---|
| 2008-09* | 54.0 |
| 2007-08 | 45.0 |
| 2006-07 | 33.2 |
| 2005-06 | 33.1 |
| 2004-05 | 31.5 |
| 2003-04 | 27.9 |
Source: Dairy Australia
*Forecast: ABARE Commodities, March quarter 2008.
National supermarket price of milk (dollars per litre)
| Year | Branded* fresh white full cream 2 litre | Supermarket label fresh white full cream 2 litre |
|---|---|---|
| June 2008 | 1.83 | 1.19 |
| January 2008 | 1.70 | 1.19 |
| June 2007 | 1.53 | 1.16 |
| January 2007 | 1.52 | 1.15 |
| June 2006 | 1.45 | 1.15 |
| January 2006 | 1.52 | 1.13 |
Source: Dairy Australia
*Private label: includes non-supermarket specific brands such as Dairyfarmers, Pauls, Pura milk etc.
Dairy Exports*
| Year | Value (A$ billion) | Volume (tonnes) |
|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 |
$2.88 |
723,203 |
| 2006-07 | $2.53 | 846,271 |
| 2005-06 | $2.66 | 882,061 |
| 2004-05 | $2.58 | 872,460 |
| 2003-04 | $2.38 | 891,378 |
Source: ABS/DA Rank Tables
Last reviewed: 28 May 2009
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