According to the IFCN Monitoring the world milk price increased by 35% to a level of ca. 30 USD or 27 EUR/100 kg milk since June 2016. Now, after 2 years of lows in milk pay-out, world production is finally decreasing. Latest projections confirm that currently world milk demand is growing faster than the supply in 2016 and 2017.

Further price increases are a logical consequence unless any major dairy demand crisis arises.

The 14th IFCN Supporter Conference 2016 held 14-16 September in Wageningen, The Netherlands, brought to the table over 110 analysts and dairy professionals from about 80 leading agribusiness companies. Beside the milk price and supply forecast, it was focusing on the question: “What is the future of dairy farming systems?”​

It is no wonder that business leaders from milk processing companies to feed, animal health and machinery providers look especially into future dairy farms. IFCN has defined future dairy farms as a today’s farm that will be still producing in 10 years. In the past, successful farms have been doubling their cow numbers in 10 years and reaching 5-10% production growth per year. On the other side, in the next 10 years, there will be over 40% less farms in Western Europe.

In workshops the agribusiness partners came to the result that among the sustainable areas of the farms, economic considerations represent the most limiting factor of growth compared to social, environmental and risk factors. Furthermore, the representatives of the dairy industry held a common view that sharing of knowledge and data is the way forward for them to work together. Only with solid data it is possible to develop new techniques and solutions for dairy farms that will be fit for the future and ensure that milk supply meets the increasing future milk demand.