According to government statistics, 10% of German processors now handle over 300,000 tonnes of milk annually. This means that, between them, they process just under 50% of all milk delivered within Germany.
Results from 1997 show that 269 processors were in business then, compared with 314 in 1994. An introduction to the government survey stressed that present pricing policies, coupled with milk oversupply in Europe, meant that consumers were the only segment deriving any advantage from the current situation.
German agriculture ministry milk specialists warn that surviving dairies must expand their businesses to remain viable in the future. Marketing will have to change with much more emphasis on international trade in value-added products instead of the predominantly local or inter-regional sales still common in Germany.