Turkey collected over 5.2 million tons of cow milk in the first half of 2021, the country’s statistical authority announced on Tuesday.
Cow milk production increased by 2.5% year-on-year in the six-month period, a Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) statement said.
In the January-June period, 794,928 tons of drinking milk were produced, down 5.6% on an annual basis.
Data also showed that cheese production from cow’s milk was up 1.6% on a yearly basis to 375,384 tons.
Cheese production from sheep, goat, buffalo, and mixed milk totaled 20,000 tons, up 17.6% in the period year on year.
Turkey also produced 538,739 tons of yogurt, 287,875 tons of ayran – salty yogurt drink – 40,954 tons of butter, 24,104 tons of cream, and 24,071 tons of milk powder from January to June.
In June, Turkey collected 880,367 tons of cow milk, up 1.8% on a yearly basis.
Dairy exports rise
During the first half of this year, Turkey exported dairy products worth $242.46 million, up 34.5% on an annual basis, according to the National Milk Council data.
Meanwhile, the country’s dairy imports posted a decline of 33.1% to $27.5 million over the same period.
China, Iraq, and Egypt were the top destinations for Turkish dairy products exporters in the first half.
Last year, over 9.8 million tons of cow milk was produced in Turkey, with 1.6 million tons of drinking milk production.
Source: Anadolu Agency