In 2023, there was a notable decline in the production of cow’s milk within domestic dairies, dropping by 7.5 percent compared to the previous year, as per data from the Republic Statistical Office.
Breaking it down quarterly, the fourth quarter of 2023 witnessed a significant 21.3 percent decrease in cow’s milk production compared to the same period in 2022.
Meanwhile, purchase prices for cow’s milk saw a considerable 17.9 percent increase between January and December 2023 compared to the preceding year.
Quarterly analysis reveals a 15.5 percent decrease in milk prices during the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.
According to RSO records, the purchase price per liter of milk started at 36.91 dinars in January 2022, gradually rising by one dinar each subsequent month. By June of that year, the price reached 42.29 dinars.
Subsequently, in July, the purchase price spiked to 54.16 dinars, peaking at 67.06 dinars by December.
However, the trend reversed in January of the following year, with the purchase price dropping to 65.04 dinars and continuing to decline until August.
From September to December 2023, the purchase price rebounded from 54.11 to 55.91 dinars.
Regarding consumer prices for cow’s milk, they surged by 50.7 percent from January to December 2023 compared to the same period in the prior year.
Starting at 95.33 dinars per liter in January 2022, the consumer price increased steadily over the next six months, reaching 110.10 dinars per liter in July.
By the end of the year, the consumer price soared to 143.40 dinars per liter, rising further to 170.25 dinars in January 2023.
Throughout 2023, the average price per liter of milk remained at around 170 dinars.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, the average price stood at 168.7 dinars per liter, marking a 20.8 percent increase compared to the same quarter in the previous year.
The RSO report concludes that while purchase prices for cow’s milk declined slightly in the first seven months of 2023, they experienced modest growth in the final five months, whereas consumer prices remained stable throughout the year.
