Drought Cuts Maize and Milk, Raising Costs in Galicia

Dry conditions and elevated temperatures are affecting Galicia’s dairy sector. The impacts are being reported in two parts of the feed base: forage maize and pastures. Dairy operations are also experiencing heat stress, which is associated in the source with lower milk production and higher operating costs.

The effect on forage maize is uneven across Galicia. In the worst-affected plots, the harvest could be as much as 60% lower. The reported figure refers to the crop’s harvest and applies to the parcels most exposed to the combination of limited rainfall and high temperatures.

Pastures are also under pressure from the same weather conditions. The available information identifies a lack of rain and high temperatures as the factors affecting both forage maize and grazing areas, without providing a region-wide estimate for the decline in pasture production.

Heat stress is already reducing milk production at dairy farms. The source does not give a volume for the reduction, but it describes the effect as current rather than prospective. The reported change in milk output is presented alongside the deterioration in feed conditions.

Farm expenses are rising at the same time. The available information links higher costs to the conditions affecting dairy operations, while giving no breakdown by input or a monetary estimate. It also provides no figures for milk prices, herd numbers, exports or the duration of the weather conditions.