Manchego Milk Production Is Set to Fall 25%

ASAJA Castilla-La Mancha has warned that production of milk used for Manchego cheese will decline by 25% in 2026 compared with the level recorded two years earlier.

The organisation said production reached 98m litres two years ago. A reduction of 25% from that figure would leave output below the earlier level, although the source did not provide a separate forecast in litres for 2026.

The warning concerns sheep’s milk in Castilla-La Mancha, the production base identified by ASAJA in its assessment. The figures refer to milk production rather than to the volume of Manchego cheese made from it.

Sheep farmers cited in the report said that the prices they currently receive do not cover their production costs. The statement did not specify the price paid per litre, the costs included in the calculation or the date on which current prices were recorded.

ASAJA’s comparison uses 2026 and the output level from two years before as its reference points. The organisation therefore presents the expected change as a 25% reduction over that period, with 98m litres serving as the earlier production figure.

The report did not give details of the number of farms involved, the size of the sheep flock, trading volumes or exports. It also did not identify any government measure, industry agreement or regulatory decision linked to the projected change.

The information available records two points: ASAJA Castilla-La Mancha expects lower Manchego sheep-milk production in 2026, and farmers say present prices are insufficient to meet production costs. No further explanation for the anticipated reduction was provided.