Which Country Is the Largest Producer of Milk?
India is the world's largest milk producer, with 22 percent of global production, followed by the United States of America, China, Pakistan and Brazil. Since the 1970s, most of the expansion in milk production has been in South Asia, which is the main driver of milk production growth in the developing world.
We all know the importance of milk in our lives. Milk contains some of the most important nutrients that we require, especially for growing children, including calcium and protein, to strengthen bones and muscles. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015 - 2020, adults should consume 3 cups or equivalent of low fat or fat-free dairy every single day to maintain a healthy diet. This includes not just pure milk, but cheese, yogurt and other milk products.
Milk contains a lot of calcium, which is extremely important for the development of bones, and it is also necessary to ensure strong teeth and nerve signals too. However, despite milk being rich in calcium, many adults across the world instead have to rely on their calcium supplements to overcome calcium deficiency. One of the reasons for this is lactose intolerance.
Lactose is the main carbohydrate in milk, and lactose intolerance is the inability of the body to break down lactose which can cause different types of symptoms such as bloating, vomiting or even diarrhea. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon condition; in fact, the vast majority of adults (around 65% to 70%) are lactose intolerant, with Europeans faring much better than everyone else.
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Largest Milk Producing Countries
1. Canada
Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 9,210 Total production of milk by the country in 2018 (in thousands of tonnes): 9,219 We kick off our list with Canada, which has more than 10,000 dairy farms and more than 1.4 million dairy cattle.
2. Ukraine
Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 9,879 Total production of milk by the country in 2018 (in thousands of tonnes): 10,303 Ukraine used to be rank much higher on the list but has gradually seen a decline in milk production year on year.
3. Argentina
Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 10,340 Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 10,527 Argentina produced more than 10 million tonnes in 2019 but is expected to grow even further to cross 11 million tonnes in 2020.
4. Uzbekistan
Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 10,662 Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 10,416 Uzbekistan should a slight increase of over 2% in milk production year on year.
5. Mexico
Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 12,495 Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 12,226 While its neighbors rank much higher on the list, Mexico does quite well as well to take the 16th place in our list of largest milk producing countries in 2021.
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6. Italy
Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 13,300 Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 13,132
Italy produces more than 13 million tonnes of milk every single year, a rise of 2 million times as compared to a decade ago, earning it a spot on our list. Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: LWAY), Oatly Group AB (publ) - ADR (NASDAQ: OTLY), Unilever (NYSE:UN), Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) and Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) are some of the notable companies selling dairy-related products in Europe and the US.
7. Poland
Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 14,511 Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 14,179
An unexpected entry perhaps, but Poland has almost 10% of all cows in the European Union, whereas the yield is consistently increasing as well. Major milk companies are in Europe, while some are trading in the US too, including Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: LWAY), Oatly Group AB (publ) - ADR (NASDAQ: OTLY), Unilever (NYSE:UN), Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) and Kroger Co (NYSE: KR).
8. Netherlands
Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 14,944 Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 14,426 It may not be the biggest country in the world, but the Netherlands is still among the biggest milk producers in the world.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 15,552 Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 15,311
The UK milk production is worth more than 4 billion GBP, with around 15 billion liters of milk produced every single year.
9. Colombia
Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 21,847 Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 22,888
One of the only South American countries in our list, Colombia is regarded as one of the biggest milk producing countries in 2021.
10. New Zealand
Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 21,872 Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 21,392
The farm scene in New Zealand is quite strong, and it has a long, historic association with dairy. A lot of companies like Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: LWAY), Oatly Group AB (publ) - ADR (NASDAQ: OTLY), Unilever (NYSE:UN), Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) and Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) sell dairy products that are sourced from New Zealand.
11. Turkey
Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 22,960 Total production of milk by the country in 2019 (in thousands of tonnes): 22,121 Turkey has seen an increase of around 3.5% year on year, and is one of the biggest milk producing countries in 2021.
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