Dairying in North West Europe. Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, Belgium and northern France have developed dairying.
Denmark. The level land with sandy loam soils, well-distributed rainfall, cool summers and mild winters favored the growth of forage corps and dairying. The smallness of the farm is relatively recent development and most of the work is done by family members. The Government helps much by providing loans for farms and livestock and maintaining dairy schools and supplying information on crop raising and care of livestock to the farm. Denmark's success in dairying depends on cooperative societies. These are co-operatives for purchasing farm supplies and others for selling farm products. eighty percent of the fresh milk is used in making butter, ten percent for cheese and condensed milk and the balance is consumed locally. Dairy products accounts for more than 75 percent of the total values of Danish Exports the name 'Danish' has become associated with excellent dairy products such is their world wide reputation.
In 1987-88 Denmark produced 6 million tonnes of fresh milk., 77 thousand metric tonnes of dried milk, 8 thousand metric tonnes of condensed milk, 131 thousand milk tonnes of butter and 189 thousand metric tonnes of cheese.
She exports about 20 percent of the total butter exports of the world.
Netherlands. The dairy farming of the Netherlands rivals that of Denmark. She is an important exporter of both cheese and butter. She produced 11 million tonnes of milk, 138 thousand metric tonnes of dried milk, 514 thousand metric tonnes of condensed milk, 203 thousand metric tonnes of butter and 435 thousand metric tonnes of cheese in 1987-88.
She exports 6 percent of total butter exports and 12 percent of total cheese exports of the world.
Switzerland. Switzerland has a developed dairy industry. The mountain pastures have rich and luxuriant grasses favoring the growth of dairy. One-fourth of the land is under high pastures and one-fourth is under hay crops. The mountain pastures are utilized in spring and not in winter. Permanent establishments are located in the valleys and at certain elevations. There are houses whether the herder takes shelter and milking is done. With approach of winter, the herders return to the valleys with their cattle. The root crops and hay produced during summer are used in feeling the cattle.
Dairying is also important in the highlands of southern France, which is noted for cheese production, in the U.K. Germany, Western Russia and north Italy. U.K. produced 16 million metric of tons of milk, 21 thousand tonnes metric tonnes of dried milk, 185 thousand metric tonnes of condensed milk, 159 thousand metric tonnes of butter and 235 thousand metric tonnes of cheese in 1984-85. The U.S.S.R. Produced 95.2 million metric tonnes of milk and 14.9 thousand metric tons of butter in 1987-88. Home consumption of dairy products in these countries is very great.
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