Germans eating less butter - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Eurofood, Feb 17, 2000

The German butter market was thrown off balance for most of last year due to the repercussions of the lack of export trade with third countries. In the space of just a few months butter prices fell below the intervention threshold. As a result, for the first time since 1993 butter had to be taken from the market in Germany -- almost 8 000 tonnes altogether. In the autumn and winter, butter prices recovered again slightly but the average over the whole year remained well below the 1998 level.

An estimated 420 000t of butter was produced in Germany last year, 1.4% less than in 1998. This continued the downward trend of the last few years, albeit to a lesser degree. With no change in imports and exports estimated, near on 550 000t of butter was available for consumption last year, 5 000t less than in the year before. Per capita consumption fell slightly again, by 100g to 6.7kg. At the beginning of the decade consumption had stood at over 7kg, reflecting a gradual shift away from butter to plant-based spreads.