Published at 7. May 2026
Despite global challenges, Milchwerke Schwaben eG is setting new standards in 2025: with 431.4 million kg of milk collected and targeted investments in efficiency and sustainability, the cooperative is strengthening its competitiveness. Find out how innovative solutions and long-term partnerships with farmers are securing the future of the regional dairy industry.
The 2025 financial year once again presented the German and European dairy industry with considerable challenges. A rising global milk supply, highly volatile product prices and significantly increased cost structures characterised the market environment. Despite these volatile conditions, Milchwerke Schwaben eG managed to increase its turnover by 23 million euros to a total of 370 million euros. The cooperative thus successfully held its own in the market whilst simultaneously setting an important strategic and personnel course for the future. With 431 million kilograms of milk delivered by its members, the cooperative also achieved a new delivery record.
The past financial year was characterised by a significant rise in costs. The 2025 annual report, presented at the Annual General Meeting in Ulm, shows, among other things, an increase in the cost of materials of 17.2 million euros to a total of 314.1 million euros. The largest share of this is accounted for by milk payments to member farms supplying milk, which amount to around €230.3 million. In addition, this item includes milk purchases, transport costs and expenditure on purchased consumables and operating materials, additives, packaging materials and energy.
Milchwerke Schwaben continued to invest consistently in the future during the 2025 financial year. Around €6 million was invested in intangible assets and property, plant and equipment, including the refurbishment of a spray-drying tower, the expansion of production capacity in the yoghurt and dessert sector, the introduction of a new ERP system, and further maintenance, modernisation and optimisation investments.
After twelve years as one of two managing directors, Karl Laible retired in autumn 2025.
Since 1 December 2025, Milchwerke Schwaben eG has been led by a newly appointed management team, which is setting a clear course for the company’s future viability and brand strength. Dr Johann Meier takes on overall responsibility as sole managing director and continues to lead the company with a strategic focus and continuity. The new divisional heads will strengthen operational effectiveness in the company’s core business areas:
With this new structure, the cooperative is establishing a forward-looking management framework designed to ensure stability, clear lines of responsibility and sustainable growth.
The rise in milk deliveries over the course of the year, particularly towards the end of the year, led to significant downward adjustments in payment prices. Nevertheless, higher average net payment prices were achieved compared with the previous year.
The average payment prices for 4.2% fat and 3.4% protein were:
| Net | Gross (agricultural tax rate 7.8%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional milk | 50.76 cents/kg | 54.72 cents/kg |
| Non-GMO milk | 50.96 cents/kg | 54.94 cents/kg |
| Pasture-fed milk | 53.38 cents/kg | 57.54 cents/kg |
| HF3 / QM++ milk | 54.15 cents/kg | 58.37 cents/kg |
| Organic milk | 64.65 cents/kg | 69.69 cents/kg |
In 2025, milk producers supplied Milchwerke Schwaben with 431.4 million kilograms of milk – an increase of 2.5 per cent and the highest delivery volume in the cooperative’s history. QM++-certified milk accounted for the largest share, at 254.7 million kilograms.
The organic segment also continued to grow: organic milk deliveries rose to 12.8 million kilograms, an increase of 14.3 per cent. Pasture milk, introduced in June 2023, reached a volume of 7.6 million kilograms in 2025.
In total, the Neu-Ulm Dairy Cooperative processed 465.8 million kilograms of raw material, representing an increase of 13.8 million kilograms compared with the previous year.
The individual product segments performed differently in 2025. The traditional yoghurt and dessert segment for Milchwerke Schwaben, in 1,000-gramme and 800-gramme pots respectively, continued to grow, reaching sales of 92,864 tonnes, an increase of 2.2 per cent. Growth was also recorded in the small-pot segment: sales rose by 7.8 per cent to 40.2 million pots.
Driven by high milk delivery volumes, sales of cheese (cheese slices and self-service cheese) rose by 7.7 per cent to 33,798 tonnes. However, due to processing requirements, butter sales fell by 550 tonnes to 4,312 tonnes.
In the dry milk products sector, sales volumes fell once again. Sales of milk powder decreased to 1,005 tonnes due to processing; sales volumes of whey powder also declined. Overall, 16,911 tonnes of dry milk products were sold, around 10.7 per cent less than in the previous year.
Looking ahead to 2026, the market environment for the dairy industry remains challenging. High global milk volumes, intense competition in the food retail sector, and geopolitical and political uncertainties continue to shape the operating environment.
“Following the sharp rise in milk deliveries in 2025, we initially expect the market environment to remain subdued in 2026,” explains Dr Johann Meier, Managing Director of Milchwerke Schwaben. “Prices for many dairy products have recently stabilised at lower levels. At the same time, falling raw material prices are once again opening up opportunities in export markets.”
Meier also emphasises the importance of a long-term focus: “Particularly in a volatile environment, it is crucial to invest consistently in efficiency, quality and sustainability. Our goal remains to secure the long-term competitiveness of Milchwerke Schwaben and to continue offering our dairy farmers reliable prospects for the future.”
Milchwerke Schwaben eG
Janina Gensch
Marketing
Reuttier Straße 142
89231 Neu-Ulm
Tel.: +49 731 706-206
Email: jgensch@milchwerkeschwaben.de