Fewer dairy farmers in Saxony - cows produce more milk

In Saxony, more and more dairy farms are going out of business, but the number of animals remains the same. In the past five years, the number of farms has fallen by around 15 percent to 1,025, as the Ministry of Agriculture announced in response to a dpa inquiry.

Association: Cost pressure on farms very high

The state farmers' association cited the increased costs for operating resources, energy and personnel as the reason for farm closures. In addition, inflation has further exacerbated the financial situation and farmers are facing ever stricter bureaucratic hurdles.

In addition, there is a lack of planning security for farms, the farmers' association said. According to the association, uncertain political conditions make long-term investments and strategic decisions more difficult.

The association called for less bureaucracy, a clear political commitment to domestic animal husbandry and a strengthening of farmers in order to achieve fair prices for their products.

Cows produce more milk

In contrast, the number of dairy cows fell only slightly by 7,000 animals to around 160,000 in the same period. At the same time, the annual milk yield per cow in Saxony increased significantly. According to the state farmers' association, five years ago one cow produced 10,143 liters, in 2024 it was almost 600 liters more.

The state farmers' association explains the increased milk yield by the fact that breeding for more health and robustness results in more resistant animals.

Criticism of dairy cow husbandry

Animal rights activists criticize the fact that most dairy cows are kept in cubicle stalls, in which the cows have significantly less exercise than on pasture. In addition, according to animal rights organization Peta, the high milk production often leads to painful udder infections that have to be treated with antibiotics.

According to the farmers' association, the use of antibiotics in livestock farming has fallen sharply in recent years. The aim of every farmer is to limit the use of antibiotics to what is therapeutically necessary,