Organic dairy ewes in France
Organic dairy ewes in France stood at 157,672 Head in 2025, according to Eurostat – crop production in EU standard humidity (apro_cpsh1), French agricultural statistics. It is one of the indicators in the Agriculture: annual production and accounts table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2008 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Agriculture: annual production and accounts table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organic livestock (certified and in conversion) | |||||||||||
| Dairy ewes | 157,672 | 161,837 | 158,403 | 163,208 | 161,375 | 153,372 | 139,574 | 132,233 | 110,157 | 89,921 | |
| Meat ewes | 277,076 | 298,200 | 299,974 | 290,307 | 257,401 | 241,726 | 233,292 | 222,735 | 206,096 | 187,137 |
Understanding organic dairy ewes in France
Counting adult female sheep maintained primarily for milk production within certified organic flocks or conversion schemes, this metric isolates ovine dairy enterprises. The scope covers ewes kept for milking purposes destined for specialized cheese and dairy processing, while meat-producing ewes and breeding rams are excluded. This separation distinguishes dairy sheep flocks from meat flocks recorded elsewhere in the agricultural accounts.
Reading these statistics requires attention to the seasonal lambing and milking cycles inherent to small ruminant farming. Annual evaluations minimize the distorting effects of seasonal culling and flock turnover. Researchers should avoid comparing ewe head counts directly with cheese production statistics, as milking durations and milk yields per animal fluctuate independently of the baseline livestock population.
Frequently asked questions
- Are male sheep included in the dairy ewe inventory?
- No, rams and male lambs are excluded from the female breeding ewe count.
- How does this series differ from the meat ewe series?
- This count is restricted to ewes managed for milk extraction, whereas meat ewes are raised strictly for lamb and mutton production.
- Are flocks in the process of organic conversion counted here?
- Yes, both fully certified organic dairy ewes and those under official conversion status are included.