In 2021/22, the average number of dairy cows, otherwise known as the ‘national dairy herd’ size in the United Kingdom was approximately 1.85 million animals. The last three years have broken a downward trend that lasted from 2002/03 to 2013/14.
UK milk production
The modern dairy cow is especially bred for milk production. Even though the UK dairy herd in 2002/03 was bigger than the current herd, the current milk production surpasses the one in 2002/03 by a few hundred million liters of milk. This is reflected in an increased average milk yield per cow in the UK.
UK Cheese production
Cheese production in the UK is up. Production since 2014 has consistently surpassed 400 thousand metric tons, and even amounted to 504 thousand tons in 2021. By far the biggest attributor to UK production is cheddar cheese. Here we can see again a significant increase in the production in the last three years.
Average size of the national dairy herd in the United Kingdom (UK) from period 2002/03 to 2021/22
(in 1,000 head)
* Leap years. ** Provisional data The source states that from 1999/00 to 2004/05 "the average size of the dairy herd is estimated by taking the size of the herd at June and December from the agricultural census information, and calculating the population trends during the remaining months of the year. From 2005/06 data is obtained through the Cattle Tracing System (CTS)."
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AHDB. (September 27, 2022). Average size of the national dairy herd in the United Kingdom (UK) from period 2002/03 to 2021/22 (in 1,000 head) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 30, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/298765/average-dairy-herd-size-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/?session=d0e38e3b3c0dc2358e7d799b3532592b
AHDB. "Average size of the national dairy herd in the United Kingdom (UK) from period 2002/03 to 2021/22 (in 1,000 head)." Chart. September 27, 2022. Statista. Accessed August 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/298765/average-dairy-herd-size-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/?session=d0e38e3b3c0dc2358e7d799b3532592b
AHDB. (2022). Average size of the national dairy herd in the United Kingdom (UK) from period 2002/03 to 2021/22 (in 1,000 head). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/298765/average-dairy-herd-size-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/?session=d0e38e3b3c0dc2358e7d799b3532592b
AHDB. "Average Size of The National Dairy Herd in The United Kingdom (Uk) from Period 2002/03 to 2021/22 (in 1,000 Head)." Statista, Statista Inc., 27 Sep 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/298765/average-dairy-herd-size-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/?session=d0e38e3b3c0dc2358e7d799b3532592b
AHDB, Average size of the national dairy herd in the United Kingdom (UK) from period 2002/03 to 2021/22 (in 1,000 head) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/298765/average-dairy-herd-size-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/?session=d0e38e3b3c0dc2358e7d799b3532592b (last visited August 30, 2024)
Average size of the national dairy herd in the United Kingdom (UK) from period 2002/03 to 2021/22 (in 1,000 head) [Graph], AHDB, September 27, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/298765/average-dairy-herd-size-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/?session=d0e38e3b3c0dc2358e7d799b3532592b