Belgium: Lifetime production of Flemish dairy cows rises to record high

The average lifetime production of dairy cows in Flanders increased further in the 2023-2024 financial year to 31,323 kg of milk with 4.23 percent fat and 3.49 percent protein. The productive lifespan of the cows increased by four days and the number of hundred-tonners increased to 217. This is evident from the annual statistics of the milk production registration (mpr) of the CRV herdbook, which were published today. Never before have dairy cows in Flanders achieved a higher lifetime production than in the past financial year, which ran from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024. The cows that were removed from Flemish dairy farms produced an average of 31,323 kg of milk with 4.23% fat and 3.49% protein (2,418 kg fat and protein) in their lifetime. This is 413 kg of milk and 39 kg more fat and protein than in the previous financial year. The increasing lifetime production is also visible in the growing number of cows with a lifetime production of more than 100,000 kg of milk. Last ...