2006: Slight increase in sales

In the 2006 calendar year, the Federal Statistics Office confirms that the sales of the German milk industry amounted to € 20.97 billion. This was € 423 million higher than the figure for the previous year. The reason for this is the higher level of milk supply and therefore milk processing. Unit prices sank slightly. Export was the factor that encouraged growth. At approximately 21 %, the export quota of the German milk industry reached its peak. Milk and milk products to the value of € 5.5 billion crossed the German border to be sold abroad. This means that the dairy industry is the biggest exporter in the German foodstuffs sector.

Germany itself is a large market. In highly populated regions, there is also demand for large quantities of milk and milk products from abroad. In total, € 4.16 billion worth of milk and milk products were imported to Germany. This figure was approximately 460 million less than in the previous year. The German market is subject to a high level of competition, and this hindered imports.

(€ billion)	1997	2007	2008	2009
Turnover
By the German dairy industry *)	20.14	22.80	22.29	18.23
Share of sales exported (Euro)	3.32	4.90	4.75	3.67
Share of sales exported (%)	16.5	22.00	21.32	20.12
Exports overall
Total	454.34	965.24	984.14	808.16
Agricultural and food goods	21.42	45.99	51.89	47.29
Milk and dairy products	4.55	7.23	7.32	6.11
Imports overall
Total	394.79	769.89	805,84	673.96
Agricultural and food goods	36.56	56.93	61.76	56.17
Milk and dairy products	2.71	5.33	5.34	4.29
* without icecream Source: Federal Statistical Office, Association of Dairy Producers, Central Market & Price Reports Office