The Turkish Statistical Institute reported that integrated dairies collected 999,348 tonnes of cow's milk in May, marking a 1.9% increase from April's 981,030 tonnes.

However, this figure reflects a 2.0% decline compared to May of the previous year. Despite the monthly drop, the January-May period showed a 0.7% rise in milk collection compared to the same period last year.

Dairy product output demonstrated notable growth. In May, compared to the same month last year, cheese production from cow's milk rose by 2.3%, ayran and kefir production surged by 11.9%, yoghurt production increased by 7.8%, drinking milk production grew by 8.8%, and butter and ghee production jumped by 22.6%.

For the January-May period, production trends were similarly positive. Cheese production increased by 1.2%, ayran and kefir by 6.8%, yoghurt by 4.0%, drinking milk by 3.8%, and butter and ghee by 9.9% compared to the same period in the previous year.

The data highlights a resilient dairy sector with consistent production growth despite a slight annual decline in milk collection for May. (ILKHA)