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.

Multisource process

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

Year;

month

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.

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