Milkland district of Ravensburg: Over 1.5 million liters a day!

Milkland district of Ravensburg: Over 1.5 million liters a day!

In Baden-Württemberg, the milk bubbles like never before! The district of Ravensburg is the undisputed king of milk production with over 1.5 million liters a day. "We are an absolute export district in terms of milk. Every fifth cow in Baden-Württemberg is here," explains Franz Schönberger, chairman of the Farmersverband Allgäu-Oberschwaben. With around 63,000 dairy cows that deliver an average of 25 liters a day, Ravensburg is the leader in cattle farming. But the farmers face challenges: more and more decide to sell their milk to Bavarian dairies, which is sometimes due to better prices.

The region has a long history in the dairy industry that goes back to the agricultural stronger Carl Hirnbein. He brought Swiss cows into the Allgäu to revolutionize milk production. Today the Allgäu cows still have Swiss genes, which explains their high milk yield. But the trend is worrying: the number of cattle drops by about one percent every year. From 2000 to 2020, the region lost 20 percent of its cows. The strict fertilizer regulations contribute to the fact that farmers can keep fewer animals, which Schönberger criticizes as unsustainable: "You can't compare a region where not half as much grows, with our comparisons and use the same values."

Milk for the World

The Ravensburger Milk is not only used in Germany, but also in Asia, where the demand for dairy products is booming. Companies like Milei in Leutkirch export their products to 52 countries, including protein powder for baby food. The connection to the Milka chocolate is also strong: the Omira dairy dairy provides milk powder for the popular chocolate that advertises with alpine milk. The future of milk production in Ravensburg remains exciting, while the region continues to be the "Kuhstall Baden-Württemberg".