Report: Turks do not drink much milk
In Turkey which is the world’s 15th large producer of milk, consumption of this item ranks 4th after tea, water, and carbonated beverages.
An average Turkis citizen drinks 26 kg of milk annually. Instead of milk, Turks prefer to consume it in the form of yoghurt, buttermilk, butter and in pudding like desserts. Therefore Turks like to eat milk rather than drink it.
With more than12,5 million tons of production Turkey has become the world’s 15th biggest milk producer in the last ten years. Almost the whole milk produced is consumed within the country.
The habit of drinking milk is not very common in Turkey. While an average Turkish citizen consumes 26 kg of drinking milk per year, the rate is 89 kg in 27 EU countries.; 107 kg in Australia, 83 kg in the United States, 44 kg in Argentina, 92 kg in Canada and 82 kg in Iran.
In Turkey milk consumption ranks 4th after tea, water and carbonated beverages.
Regarding the country’s domestic dairy production; 85 kg is used for cheese production, while 31 kg is used for yoghurt, butter-milk, 21 kg for butter, 1.54 kg for ice cream and 1,26 kg for milk powder.
CONSUMPTION
Turks like to eat milk in form of cheese, yogurt or desserts (pudding) instead of drinking it. Turkey’s cheese consumption is 19,4 kg per year per capita while an average EU country citizen consumes 16,6 kg and a US citizen consumes 19,8kg
Similarly, while average annual consumption of butter is 3,2 kg per capita in Turkey, it is 3,5 kg in 27 EU countries and 2,3 in the US.
PRODUCTION
Turkey produces approximately 12,5 million tons of milk. This quantity includes 11,6 millions of cattle milk, 734,000 tons of sheep milk, 192,000 tons of goat milk and 32,000 tons of wate buffalo milk.
5 percent of the milk produced in Turkey is used in feeding calves. 15 percent is used within farms. 20 % is used in processing local products and for hawking and the rest is used by industrialist.
In 2009 5 million tons of mil was registered and in 2010 this figured increased to 6,1 million.
IMPORTS
In 2010 however, approx. 32,000 tons of milk and dairy products were imported. In this total, mil and cream took the lead with 12,500 tons, followed by 12,000 tons fat derived from milk and dairy spreads, and also 5,200 tons of cheese and curd.
Milk powder imports which accounted for approx. 17,000 tons in 2009 decreased to 12,000 in 2010.
Turkey mainly imports from countries such as Ukraine, France, Cyprus, USA, Netherlands and Denmark .
EXPORTS
Turkey’s milk and dairy product exports in 2010 totalled upto 67,000 tons. The most exported products were cheese and curd with 27,000 tons, milk and buttermilk, clotted milk and cream, yogurt and kefir with 12,000 tons and ice-cream and other edible ice with 11,000 tons. The total exports amounted to USD 168 million.
CHALLENGES
The driving power behind Turkey’s milk production is modern enterprises. However, still only some 40 percent of milk is produced in modern facilities.
One of the important problems in the sector is that the majority of farm and dairy establishments are of small scale. For example, more than 90 percent of some 2,000 dairy establishments process less than 50 tons of milk per day. Those which process under 5 tons of milk total upto 75 percent.
The situation is similar in farms as well. 90 percent of all 1,5 million establishments have less than 10 animals.
These unfavorable sizes and scattered construction also effect quality, cost and production in a negative way.
TURKEY PREPARES FOR EU
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs conducts a project together with the association of Packed Milk and Dairy Product Industrialists (ASUD) in order to enableexportation of milk and dairy products to EU.
The project for supporting entrance of Turkey’s milk and dairy products to EU markets is also supported by National Milk Council. The project aims to provide Turkey with the capability to meet the EU requirements for milk and dairy products and open the way for exports to the community.
30.11.2011
Compiled by Editor, BTT
