Chinese appetite for milk continues to soar

China’s demand for dairy imports is set to grow for at least the next two years, according to Rabobank, the leading global agri-bank.

Demand for China’s 1.35bn population, and a shrinking global dairy supply, has held dairy prices at high levels this year. China’s appetite for milk and dairy products has been rapidly accelerating in recent years, as its consumers become wealthier and adopt a more westernised diet.

To meet the demand, reliance on dairy imports has grown 20% to 30% per annum in the past two years, leaving China to import almost 20% of its overall milk products.