China’s New Appetite for Milk Forces Price Rise in Germany

Dairy milk, with all its calcium and protein, is an excellent source of nutrients for growing children. Comments from Chinese officials, urging Chinese children to drink milk, have helped boost demand. But the nation does not have a history of dairy farming and turns to imports, especially from Europe. One third of all milk produced worldwide now goes to China, reports Kate Connolly for the Guardian. EU milk quotas, originally designed to protect prices and farms, prevent farmers in Germany and elsewhere from increasing production to match the demand. And so milk farmers have raised prices for cheese, yogurt and other dairy products. China is also hurrying to learn the art of raising dairy cows. Connolly reports, “German dairy farmers have duly been selling their best high-performance milk cows to Chinese farmers, who are receiving government subsidies if they switch to dairy farming.” – YaleGlobal