Nordmilch has slipped further below Humana Milch Union at the top of the German dairy league with sales down 31% on the year.

Despite this development, the co-operative’s agricultural director Ingo Muller (pictured) has reported a good year in 2009 with milk throughput stabilising at around four billion kg, much the same as the previous year. Profit remains at the €30 million (‚£26.9m) mark.

Muller believes that the merging of marketing activities with Humana last June within the firm Nord-Contor has had a good influence on business.

“Both our organisations are now looking into further cooperation with resultant plans to be announced in the summer,” he says.