10. From 1965 until the introduction of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) milk quota regime in 1984, dairy cow numbers in the UK remained static at around 3.25 million. Since 1984 there has been a steady decline so that by 1996 there were about 2.58 million dairy cows. A marginal increase in cow numbers occurred in 1994 due to a combination of imports from elsewhere in Europe (mainly Holland) and an increase in home-bred heifers. This was stimulated by good levels of profitability at the time and the anticipated increase in milk price, and hence profit, as a result of the planned de-regulation in the milk market. There has also been an increase in average milk yield from 4,940 litres per cow in the production year 1983/84 to 5,395 litres in 1995. Yields of herds in recognised milk recording systems are appreciably higher, averaging 6,345 litres in 1995.