Türkiye’s integrated dairy enterprises collected a total of 930,898 tonnes of milk, according to data released Friday by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).

The amount of cow’s milk gathered by dairy processors declined by 1.7% in December compared to the same month a year earlier. On an annual basis, milk collection for the January–December period edged down by 0.5% compared with the previous year.

Production figures for December showed mixed results across dairy products. Cheese made from cow’s milk fell by 0.5%, while output of fermented drinks such as ayran and kefir surged by 14.9%. Yoghurt production rose by 10%, whereas drinking milk production dropped by 3.6%. Butter and ghee output recorded a slight decrease of 0.3%.

Despite the modest decline in milk collection, annual production data painted a more positive picture. In the January–December period, cheese production increased by 1.3%, ayran and kefir output grew by 9.3%, and yoghurt production climbed by 5.5%. Drinking milk production rose by 3.9%, while butter and ghee output expanded by 5.5% compared with the previous year.

Overall, the figures indicate stable demand for processed dairy products, even as raw milk collection saw a slight year-on-year contraction. (ILKHA)