TurkStat (TÜİK) has released 2025 raw milk production data based on its Animal Production Survey on Agricultural Holdings (TİHA). Total raw milk production fell from 22,487,757 tonnes in 2024 to 21,379,088 tonnes in 2025, an annual decline of 4.9%. The drop was not limited to cow milk; small ruminant and buffalo milk also recorded sharp declines.
By species, the 2025 changes were: cow milk down 4.0%, buffalo milk down 33.0%, sheep milk down 11.9% and goat milk down 29.8%. Cow milk remains the backbone of the sector, accounting for 94.5% of Türkiye's raw milk output, with sheep at 3.7%, goat at 1.6% and buffalo at 0.2%.
Most of the raw milk continues to flow into industrial and commercial channels: milk collection centres and processing plants take 60.9%, direct-to-consumer/trader sales 17.1%, household dairy production 14.1%, animal feed 4.8%, undefined uses 2.0% and home consumption/free distribution 1.0%. Production and processing losses stayed at 0.1%.
Analysts warn that the production decline could add pressure to milk and dairy product prices. Even modest declines in cow milk, the main raw input for Türkiye's retail dairy chain, can amplify price and supply volatility in value-added categories such as milk powder, cheese and butter. TurkStat has been deriving production estimates from the TİHA survey, which is applied to a sample of more than 40,000 agricultural holdings, since 2020.
Key Takeaways:
1. TurkStat data show Türkiye's total raw milk output fell 4.9% to 21.3 million tonnes in 2025.
2. Buffalo milk dropped 33%, goat milk 29.8%, sheep milk 11.9% and cow milk 4.0%.
3. Cow milk still accounts for 94.5% of Türkiye's raw milk production.
4. 60.9% of raw milk is channelled into milk-collection centres and processing plants.
5. Analysts warn the production decline could add upward pressure to milk and dairy product prices.
