Increase price In sheep and goat milkrelative stability in cow and buffalo and reduce the multitude of breeders in almost all categories, recorded the latest ELGO-DIMITRA data for 2024.
The resulting image is mixed: producer prices are moving at a satisfactory level, but the shrinkage of the productive base and intense competition are causing reflection on the future of the milk industry.
“It is important in the context of the common agricultural policy to strengthen the policies for the renewal and strengthening of the rural population, as described in the vision of agriculture published by EU Agriculture Commissioner Christof Hansen,” the Athenian-Macedonian-Macedonian Agency told the Athenian-Macedonian. Producers’ education policies continue steadily while the control mechanisms for the protection of Greek agri -food products are shielded. “
According to ELGO-DIMITRA data in 2024, despite the increase in producer prices-especially in sheep and goat milk-the number of breeders is declining at a steady rate.
Production costs, increasing certification requirements, as well as the absence of new age farmers create a landscape of uncertainty about the future of Greek dairy.
The image of stability in production and prices in cow’s milk is not enough to balance the pressures of small and medium producers in mountainous and disadvantaged areas, which are the backbone of traditional dairy production.
Regarding the reduction of the number of breeders located possible, it is also due to an increase in the size of the economies of scale economies, as smaller units are not financially viable.
Specifically, for the second consecutive year, sheep’s milk recorded one of the highest average prices of the last decade. Specifically, in 2024 the average price amounted to EUR 1,4404/kg, slightly reduced compared to a record of EUR 1,5543/kg of 2023, but remains significantly higher than prices before pandemic, when in 2019 the price was EUR 0.8006/kg. However, in the first quarter of the year the price fell little and is at € 1,381/liter.
The amount of sheep’s milk delivered in 2024 stood at 728,343 tonnes, slightly reduced compared to 732,382 tonnes of 2023, and significantly increased compared to 2015 (549,360 tonnes), confirming the timeless resistance of production in this category. For the first quarter of this year, production is 257,500 tonnes.
However, the data on the number of sheep’s milk producers were negative. In 2023 it was 40,231 and only a year later decreased to 38,668. It is noted that this number is the lowest of the last decade while reflecting a gradual departure of small producers due to costs, age or absence of succession.
Prices for goat’s milk were on positive ground. With a strong presence mainly in mountainous and island regions, the average price in 2024 stood at € 0.9247/kg, significantly higher than the price of 2020 (0.5467 euros/kg) and almost twice as much as 2015, where it was recorded only 0.5844 euros/kg. In the first three months of this year, the price is on average at € 0.8840/liter, as recorded in the Imilk Elgo application of ELGO-DIMITRA.
The quantity of goat’s milk was 155,674 tonnes, showing a slight decline against 160,171 tonnes of 2023. However, by March 2025, the delivered production was 37,840 tonnes. The same trend is recorded in the number of producers: 12,625 in 2024, compared to 12,954 in 2023 and 13,416 in 2021.
It is worth noting that according to data, it is found that there is a concentration of the industry to fewer producers, the number of which has decreased by 17% compared to 2015, while production increased by about 20% in the same period. In 2024 the goat’s milk producers were 12,625 when in 2015 they reached 15,174.
Stability was observed in Greek production of cow’s milk in 2024. The average price of conventional milk ranged between EUR 0.5163-0.5327/kg, with a marginal increase from month to month. The organic cow remained higher, reaching up to € 0.5908/kg in December. The price for the first three months of 2025 was ranged at € 0.5402/liter.
The total quantity was 638,865 tonnes (18,293 tonnes were organic milk), slightly increased by 636,580 tonnes of 2023. It is a stable image as opposed to the volatility of other categories, which reflects a more industrialized and concentrated productive base.
However, according to the IMILK ELGO application in the first quarter of 2025, producers delivered almost 175,500 tonnes of cow’s milk.
In 2024, cow’s milk producers decreased to 1,878 out of the 1,994 in 2023 and well below the 3,253 in 2015.
Although remains of extremely limited production, buffalo milk has recorded high prices throughout 2024.
According to ELGO-DIMITRA data, its average price ranged between EUR 1.35-1.38 euros/kg, showing small fluctuations. Upward, even marginally, the price was in the first three months of 2025. Specifically, the average price for buffalo milk reached 1,3647 euros/liter.
The total production in 2024 reached only 125 tonnes, at the same level as 2023, while in the first quarter of 2025 more than 32 tonnes have been delivered.
Finally, it is noted that the production of buffalo milk is mainly concentrated in northern Greece, in some units in Central Macedonia, and serves mainly special products (eg Kazan Dipi, Yogurt and Traditional Cheeses).
Source: RES-EIA