The latest monthly statistics from FranceAgriMer indicate that French milk supply was down 6.4% in December compared with the same period in 2015. Over the whole of last year, French dairy farmers produced just over 20bn litres, compared with 24.6bn litres in 2015.

Since the start of this year, weekly surveys show that the country’s supply has remained between 4% and 5% below last year’s levels.

French milk production dropped sharply below the five-year average in August and September last year, coinciding with the introduction of the EU-wide milk production reduction scheme. It has remained well below trends ever since.

A 5% drop in French milk supply over a full year would represent just under 1% in the EU’s overall production.

The milk price paid in France in December was 30.9c/l at 3.8% fat and 3.2% protein – the first month to record a year-on-year increase. Over the course of 2016, the average price paid to French farmers was 29.4c/l, down 6.9% on 2015.

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Farmers in the EU's second largest milk producer have cut output sharply over the winter, figures published this Tuesday show.