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Milk constituents
Did you know?
- Milk is a staple of the Irish diet and provides a valuable source of nutrients including protein, calcium, iodine and vitamin B12.
- Ireland has the second-highest per capita consumption of fresh milk in the world. Estonia is the highest.
- Milk is approximately 87% water. The other components of milk include proteins, fat, carbohydrate (lactose), vitamins and minerals.
In this section we look at different milk production systems across the world.
International milk production comparisons
| Milk-Cow L/Year | Average Herd Size | Fat | Protein | Solids/kg/year | Reporting Org. | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 4429 | 53 cows | 3.83% | 3.34% | 327 | ICBF | 2009 |
| France* | 5887 | 44 cows | 4.17% | 3.51% | 466 | ASSO | 2010 |
| Germany | 6906 | 46 cows | 4.16% | 3.41% | 538 | ADT | 2010 |
| Holland | 8101 | 78 cows | 4.38% | 3.53% | 660 | CRV | 2010 |
| Denmark | 8495 | 140 cows | 4.30% | 3.45% | 678 | VFL | 2010 |
| New Zealand | 3650 | 376 cows | 4.82% | 3.65% | 318 | LIC | 2009 |
| Chile | 4704 | 26 cows | 3.91% | 3.36% | 352 | Cooprinsem | 2009 |
| USA** | 9314 | 171 cows | 3.66% | 3.10% | 648 | HDHIA/Agsource | 2010 |
Source: www.icar.org
* - 2010 kg /yr not available, used 2009
** - Used NDHIA Information where available except protein figure from Agsource
Average milk yield per cow (L)
Ireland: 4429
France: 5887
Germany: 6906
Holland: 8101
Denmark: 8495
New Zealand: 3650
Chile: 4704
USA: 9314
Average milk yield per cow - solids (kg)
Ireland: 327
France: 466
Germany: 538
Holland: 660
Denmark: 678
New Zealand: 318
Chile: 352
USA: 648
Milk constituents
