PRODUCTION OF MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Sources and methods of data collection

Data on the annual production of milk and dairy products are taken over from the Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food – the Central Laboratory for Milk Control (SLKM). The data collected that way refer to the quantity of cows’, ewes’ and goats’ milk collected, milk fat and protein contents, the production of dairy products from cows’ milk and the foreign dairies’ trade in milk and dairy products.

The Laboratory processes the collected data and submits them, according to previously defined deadlines and in suitable form, to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics for further processing.

The data on the annual milk production at private family farms are collected as a part of the regular annual survey on the number of livestock and livestock production, which is done by using the sampling method.

The methodology for carrying out the survey on milk and dairy products is based on the Methodological Basis for Gathering Data on Milk and Dairy Products Statistics (NN, No. 42/13).

Coverage and comparability

There are about forty dairies operating in the Republic of Croatia for which the SLKM makes analysis of purchased milk and from which it collects data on the production. The coverage includes industrial and registered small dairies.

The reporting units for the Annual Report on Livestock Production on Agricultural Farms are private family farms engaged in the breeding of livestock and poultry.

Confidentiality

Aggregated data for which there are reasons for confidentiality (small number of units, the dominance rule or secondary confidentiality rule) according to the Official Statistics Act (NN, Nos 103/03, 75/09, 59/12 and 12/13) and to the Ordinance on the Statistical Data Protection Method are treated as confidential and therefore are not published.

Definitions

Drinking milk comprises row milk, whole milk, skimmed milk, semi-skimmed milk and skimmed milk containing no additives.

Raw milk comprises milk which has not been heated beyond 40 °C or undergone any treatment that has an equivalent effect.

Whole milk comprises milk with fat content ≥ 3.5%, subject to heat treatment.

Semi-skimmed milk comprises milk with fat content 1.5% – 2.8%, subject to one heat treatment.

Skimmed milk comprises milk with fat content < 1.5%, subject to one heat treatment.

Buttermilk is residual product of the processing of milk or cream into butter.

Cream comprises cream for direct consumption, containing more or less than 29% of milk fat.

Fermented products include yoghurts, drinkable yoghurts, acidified milk and other fermented products either with or without additives.

Drinks with a milk base comprise products containing at least 50% milk equivalent (chocolate milk, buttermilk with additives, etc.).

Other fresh products comprise fresh milk products not elsewhere specified (mainly milk-based desserts).

Butter includes traditional butter, melted butter, butter oil and similar products containing more than 80% of milk fat.

Cheese includes fresh or matured, solid or semi-solid products, obtained by coagulating milk, cream, buttermilk or other products.

Processed cheese comprises products obtained by grinding, mixing, melting and emulsifying one or more varieties of cheese, with or without additives.

Whey includes liquid whey and powdered whey in liquid equivalent. It is a by-product obtained during the manufacture of cheese or casein.

Total milk production includes cows’, ewes’ and goats’ milk obtained by milking. Quantities of available milk and its usage are expressed in tonnes. The conversion coefficient for milk is 1.03 (1 l = 1.03 kg).

Milk delivered to dairies includes deliveries of all types of milk (cows’, ewes’ and goats’).

Home consumption includes whole milk consumed by a holder’s household (for human consumption only).

Direct sales include the sale at an agricultural farm or a market as well as giving of whole milk for human consumption directly to final consumers.

Milk for feedingstuffs includes whole milk used on a farm for animal feedingstuffs (either milk itself or as a compound of other animal feedingstuffs).

Differences and losses item refers to the statistical difference and the quantities of milk lost during manufacturing.

Products obtained include cream, butter, cheese and other products obtained by milk processing on farms. Quantities are expressed as net amounts in tonnes.