Purchase and use of milk

The statistics on milk supplied to milk processing enterprises and on the production of dairy products serve as input to organise the common milk and milk products market of the European Union.

The main output indicators published in Statistics Estonia's database are volume of purchased milk, incl. volume of milk of elite grade, high grade and first grade; fat and protein content; average price (database tables PM18 (monthly), PM181 (annual)),
quantity of produced milk products (database table PM19 (monthly)),
volume of purchased milk; imported whole milk, skimmed milk and cream; quantity of produced milk products; whole milk, skimmed milk and milk fat used as input, by product (database table PM178 (annual)),
production of organic milk products (database table PM1972 (annual)).

Combined Nomenclature (CN)

Agriculture, dairy industry

Acidified milk – milk product with a pH between 3.8 and 5.5. Relates to yoghurts, drinkable yoghurts, prepared yoghurts, heat-treated fermented milk and other products; products based on or containing bifidus; acidified milk with/without additives with the addition of sugar and/or sweeteners

Agricultural producer – a legal or natural person who engages in an agricultural activity

Butter – a product with a milk fat content of not less than 80% and less than 90%, a maximum water content of 16% and a maximum dry non-fat milk-material content of 2%. Includes also butter which contains small amounts of herbs, spices, aromatic substances, etc. on the condition that the product retains the characteristics of butter.

Butter and other yellow fat products (as equivalent of 82% butter) – butter, natural butter (processed directly and only from pasteurised cream), recombined butter (produced from butteroil, dry non-fat milk-material and water), whey butter (produced from whey cream or mix of whey cream and cream), rendered butter and butteroil and other milk fat products shown as butter equivalent (incl. võideks, võidel)

Buttermilk – a residual product (also acid or acidified) of the processing of milk or cream into butter (by continuous churning and separation of solid fat). Buttermilk with additives is included in drinks with a milk base.

Butteroil – a product obtained from milk, cream or butter by processes which eliminate the water and the non-fat dry extract; with a content of milk fat of at least 99.3% by weight and a water content of up to 0.5% by weight

Certified organic products – agricultural products received from a fully converted organic agricultural area or certified organic livestock that can be labelled as fully organic

Cheese – a fresh or matured (semi-)solid product obtained by coagulating milk, skimmed milk, partly skimmed milk, cream, whey cream or buttermilk, alone or in combination, by the action of rennet or other suitable coagulating agents, and by partly draining the whey resulting from such coagulation (incl. cheese-like product with vegetable fat). Includes cheese obtained from cow's milk, incl. fresh cheese.

Cream – processed cream available for delivery outside dairies (for human consumption, as raw material, for manufacturers of chocolate, ice cream, etc.). Also includes cream heat treated, acidified, in cartons or tins.

Cream milk powder – milk powder with a milk fat content of at least 42% by weight of the product

Curd (fresh cheese) – product obtained from sour milk from which most of the serum has been removed by draining or pressing and which may contain up to 30% by weight of sugar and added fruits. Includes curd (except in the form of powder), cottage cheese, raw cheese, cheese curd, mozzarella, fresh whey cheese (obtained by concentrating whey and adding milk or milk fat).

Drinking milk – raw milk, whole milk, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk containing no additives, also milk with vitamin additives. Milk directly intended for consumption, normally in containers of two litres or less.

Enterprise – an enterprise consists of one or more companies (public limited company, private limited company, limited partnership, general partnership, commercial association) or branches of foreign companies or sole proprietors

Heat treatment – pasteurisation, sterilisation or uperisation

Low fat milk powder – milk powder with a milk fat content of more than 1.5% and less than 26% by weight of the product

Manufacture of dairy products – milk products from fresh cow's milk or skimmed milk for delivery outside dairies. To avoid double counting, milk products used in Estonian dairies for the manufacture of other milk products are not taken into account. The volume of milk and skimmed milk used as raw material in the production of milk products is estimated based on the milk fat and protein content in the product.

Natural butter – product produced from pasteurised cream with a milk fat content of at least 80% but less than 90%, a water content of up to 16% and a dry non-fat milk-material content of up to 2%

Organic farming – sustainable production of agricultural produce, which maintains basic equilibrium, is environmentally sustainable, and is carried out in compliance with the Organic Farming Act and other relevant legislation. Holdings with organic farm production have the approval of the Estonian Agriculture and Food Board (either fully compliant with the principles of organic production or still in a conversion period).

Pasteurised milk – milk obtained by treatment at a high temperature for a short time (71.7 °C for at least 15 seconds or any equivalent combination) or by pasteurisation process (using different time and temperature combinations to obtain an equivalent effect)

Purchase – milk purchased from agricultural producers

Value of purchased milk – purchase price, excl. value-added tax and transportation costs

Recombined butter – a product produced from butteroil, dry non-fat milk-material and water with a milk fat content of at least 80% but less than 90%, a water content of up to 16% and a dry non-fat milk-material content of up to 2%

Reduced-fat butter – butter with a milk-fat content of less than 80% by weight (excl. other fats, võideks and võidel)

Rendered butter – butter with a milk fat content exceeding 85% by weight of the product. The term covers, in addition to rendered butter as such, a number of other similar dehydrated butters which are known generically under various names, such as 'dehydrated butter', 'anhydrous butter', 'butteroil', 'butyric fat' (milk fat) and 'concentrated butter'.

Semi-skimmed milk – milk which has been subject to heat treatment and with fat content over 0.5% and less than 3.5%

Skimmed milk – milk which has been subject to heat treatment and with fat content up to 0.5%

Skimmed-milk powder – milk powder with a milk fat content of up to 1.5% by weight of the product

Sterilised milk – milk which has been heated and sterilised in hermetically sealed wrappings or containers, the seal of which must remain intact. Milk must be of such preservability that no deterioration can be observed after it has spent 15 days in a closed container at the temperature of +30 °C.

Uperised milk – milk produced by applying a continuous flow of heat using a high temperature for a short time (at least 135 °C for not less than 1 second)

Whey – by-product obtained during the manufacture of cheese or casein. In the liquid state, whey contains natural constituents (on average 4.8% of lactose, 0.8% of protein and 0.2% of fats by weight of the product) which remain when casein and most of the fat have been removed from milk

Whey butter – a product produced from whey cream or mix of whey cream and cream; with a milk fat content of at least 80% but less than 90%, a water content of up to 16% and a dry non-fat milk-material content of up to 2%

Whole milk – milk which has been subject to heat treatment and with fat content naturally at least 3.5%.

Enterprise

First buyers of milk directly from agricultural producers and milk processing establishments approved by the Agriculture and Food Board

Estonia as a whole

Purchase of milk and production of milk products 2003–…

Organic milk products 2013–…

Not applicable

Official Statistics Act.

From 2025, milk statistics are governed by Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 November 2022 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) (EU) 2023/2745 of 8 December 2023 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards animal production statistics.

Until 2024, milk statistics were governed by Council Directive 96/16/EC of 19 March 1996 on statistical surveys of milk and milk products and 97/80/EC: Commission Decision of 18 December 1996 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Directive 96/16/EC on statistical surveys of milk and milk products.

None

News items can be viewed on Statistics Estonia's website in the section agriculture news.

The production of news releases is decided on a rolling basis.

Not published

Data are published in the statistical database under the subject area Economy /Agriculture / Livestock production in the following tables:

PM18: Purchase of milk (monthly);

PM19: Production of milk products (monthly);

PM178: Purchase of milk and production of milk products;

PM181: Purchase of milk;

PM1972: Certified organic production of milk products.

Data tables related to the survey (PM18, PM181, PM19, PM178, PM1972) in Statistics Estonia's database were viewed 1,791 times in 2024, 2,388 times in 2023, 3,150 times in 2022, 3,617 times in 2021, 3,240 times in 2020, and 3,069 times in 2019.
Each table view is counted as a separate viewing. This is based on the database URLs, which show that the data have been selected and the table formed.

The dissemination of data collected for the purpose of producing official statistics is guided by the requirements provided for in § 33, § 34, § 35, § 36, § 38 of the Official Statistics Act.
Access to microdata and anonymisation of microdata are regulated by Statistics Estonia’s procedure for dissemination of confidential data for scientific purposes.

The data in table PM18 in Statistics Estonia's database serve as input for the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture to comply with the requirements of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1185 of 20 April 2017

The data are transferred to Eurostat via the data transmission program EDAMIS using a standardised template provided by Eurostat.

Countries with annual milk purchase volume of less than 1 million tonnes transmit basic monthly data for milk products twice a year: by 15 August of the reference year (N) and by 15 February of the year following the reference year (N + 1).

Data on milk produced and used by agricultural holdings are transmitted once a year by 30 September of the year following the reference year (N + 1).

Detailed data on milk products as well as data on organic milk products are transmitted once a year by 30 June of the year following the reference year (N + 1).

Data on the structure of milk processing enterprises are transmitted every three years by 30 September of the year following the reference year (N + 1).

Information on milk production is also provided to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO).

The data on milk production and purchase prices serve as input for economic accounts for agriculture and supply balance sheets of agricultural products. In addition, the data on purchase prices are used to calculate agricultural price indices.

The metadata for purchase and use of milk were viewed 52 times (1 January 2024 – 31 December 2024). This figure does not represent the number of viewers, as the metadata may have been viewed multiple times by a single user.

Statistics on milk and milk products – Handbook. Milk statistics are produced in accordance with this manual as far as possible.

The methodology is also described in the legislation (see "Legal acts and other agreements") and compliance with the legislation is mandatory.

This statistical activity is guided by the European Statistics Code of Practice – revised edition, 2017.

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 November 2022, a report is compiled every three years describing the methodology applied and level of precision achieved. A summary of the quality report is published on Eurostat's website in the section Animal production.

This is a multisource process. The data sources are administrative data (Agricultural Registers and Information Board – ARIB) and questionnaires prepared for this activity (1269 and 1351). Data on milk production are obtained from the statistical activity "Livestock farming and meat production". The source of the quarterly data on milk production in the livestock farming activity is the Estonian Livestock Performance Recording Ltd. Foreign trade data are obtained from the statistical activity "Foreign trade".

There are two questionnaires used in milk statistics: 1269 "Purchase of milk and production of milk products (month)" and 1351 "Milk products (year)". Questionnaire 1351 is completed by all producers of milk products. Questionnaire 1269 is completed by all purchasers of milk and producers of basic milk products. Thus, units which only purchase milk and do not produce milk products are only included in the worklist of questionnaire 1269 "Purchase of milk and production of milk products (month)". Those who are not first purchasers of milk and only make ice cream or processed cheese are only included in the sample of questionnaire 1351 "Milk products (year)".

In drawing up the sample, it is also taken into account that data are collected separately for units which produce milk products and have their own livestock (dairy cows, goats, dairy sheep). Units should not overlap. Since 2022, data on holdings with livestock are collected through the Agriculture and Food Board.

Depending on the year, the sample size for the questionnaire "Purchase of milk and production of milk products (month)" ranges from 30 to 40 units and for the questionnaire "Milk products (year)" from 20 to 30 units.

The Agricultural Registers and Information Board (ARIB) provides the data on the quantity of milk and cream purchased from farmers, and their fat and protein content.

Data on the quantity of milk used in agricultural holdings and on the milk products produced, as well as data on organic milk products, are obtained from the Agriculture and Food Board.

Year;

month

The Agricultural Registers and Information Board (ARIB) provides the data on the quantity of milk and cream purchased from farmers, and their fat and protein content.

Data on the quantity of milk used in agricultural holdings and on the milk products produced, as well as data on organic milk products, are obtained from the Agriculture and Food Board.

Administrative data are received by email.

Data not available from other data sources are collected through questionnaires. Data are collected and the submission of questionnaires is monitored through a web-based data submission self-service environment. The questionnaires have been designed for independent completion in the self-service environment and include instructions and controls. The questionnaires and information about data submission are available on the website of Statistics Estonia in the section Questionnaires.

There are two questionnaires used in milk statistics: 1269 "Purchase of milk and production of milk products (month)" and 1351 "Milk products (year)". Units which only purchase milk and do not produce milk products are only included in the worklist of questionnaire 1269 "Purchase of milk and production of milk products (month)". Those who are not first purchasers of milk and only make ice cream or processed cheese are only included in the sample of questionnaire 1351 "Milk products (year)".

In questionnaire 1269 "Purchase of milk and production of milk products (month)", the quantity of purchased cow's milk and cream is prefilled with the quantities received from ARIB.

In questionnaire 1351 "Milk products (year)", the quantity of milk products purchased is prefilled from questionnaire 1269 as the sum of all months.

Arithmetic and qualitative checks are used in the validation process, including comparison with the data of previous periods or other surveys and with administrative data sources.

The checks applied when collecting data are included in the questionnaires. As regards the quantity of milk purchased, checks are carried out to ensure that the information provided corresponds to the quantity reported to ARIB. As regards the purchase cost of milk, it is checked that it reflects all contractual additions and deductions. If some of the additions or deductions are made retroactively for previous months, then the data of those previous months are not corrected but the additions and deductions are reflected in the actual month of payment. If necessary, the data providers are consulted.

The annual accounts of milk are drawn up in such a way as to ensure that production and purchase of milk correspond to use.

Monthly milk statistics are compiled on the basis of the data on milk purchases collected by ARIB and the data collected with questionnaire 1269 "Purchase of milk and production of milk products (month)".

Annual milk statistics are compiled on the basis of the milk purchases data from ARIB, the data on milk production obtained from the statistical activity "Livestock farming and meat production", foreign trade data, and the information collected with questionnaire 1351 "Milk products (year)". Since 2022, annual milk statistics are compiled using the Agriculture and Food Board's data on the use of milk by agricultural holdings.

In the case of missing or unreliable data, estimate imputation based on established regulations is used. For non-reporting holdings, data from the previous period are used.

Variables which were not collected but which are necessary for producing the output are calculated. New variables are calculated by applying arithmetic conversion to already existing variables. This may be done repeatedly, the derived variable may, in turn, be based on previously derived new variables. The average price of milk purchased is calculated on the basis of cost and quantity, and the quantity of milk and skimmed milk used in the production of milk products is calculated on the basis of the fat and protein content.

Microdata are aggregated to the level necessary for analysis. This includes aggregating the data according to the classification, and calculating various statistical measures, e.g. average.

The collected data are converted into statistical output. This includes calculating additional indicators.

Since all objects in the population are surveyed, no weights are calculated.

Data on organic milk products are obtained from the Agriculture and Food Board.

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