Last year, the Dutch dairy industry processed 14.1 billion kg of milk, over 2% more than in 2024, with approximately 62% used to make cheese, sector organisation ZuivelNL reports in its «Dairy in Figures 2025» publication, International Dairy Magazine reports.
The larger milk volume led primarily to a 4% rise in cheese production and a 2% rise in liquid milk and dairy products. Cheese production, including quark, exceeded 1 billion kg in 2025, of which about 60% was Gouda.
The value of Dutch exports in 2025 stood at €11.87 billion, more than 4% higher than the previous year. The EU is by far the most important market: exports to EU member states were worth more than €9.2 billion, almost 78% of the total export value.
Including other European countries, the European share reaches 81%. Exports to Belgium, Germany and France alone accounted for nearly €6.5 billion — almost 55% of the total value of Dutch dairy exports.
Source: International Dairy Magazine
