Galicia's Dairy Sector Celebrates 10 Years of Growth Post-Quota Era
Source: dairynews.today
Over the past decade, Galicia's dairy production has increased by 500 million liters despite losing 4,000 farms, with a focus on larger and more efficient operations.
The Galician dairy sector marks a milestone of 10 years without milk quotas, a market-regulating mechanism that had governed the dairy industry for nearly three decades. The abolition of quotas has enabled a remarkable transformation where production surged by 530,000 tons since 2015.
While the number of farms decreased from 9,450 to 5,247, those remaining have expanded, improving efficiency and scale. These significant shifts have resulted in a 17% increase in milk production from 2.538 million to 3.072 million tons, positioning Galicia as Spain's leading dairy community. Accordingly, the region now accounts for 41.5% of Spain's dairy production, surpassing other major areas like Castilla and León, Catalonia, Andalusia, and Asturias.
Amid such growth, production efficiency per cow has significantly improved, illustrating advancements in genetic quality and farm consolidation. Despite initial price drops post-quota removal, recent years have seen price stabilization at around 45 cents per liter in 2023, marking record highs in the sector.
While the number of farms decreased from 9,450 to 5,247, those remaining have expanded, improving efficiency and scale. These significant shifts have resulted in a 17% increase in milk production from 2.538 million to 3.072 million tons, positioning Galicia as Spain's leading dairy community. Accordingly, the region now accounts for 41.5% of Spain's dairy production, surpassing other major areas like Castilla and León, Catalonia, Andalusia, and Asturias.
Amid such growth, production efficiency per cow has significantly improved, illustrating advancements in genetic quality and farm consolidation. Despite initial price drops post-quota removal, recent years have seen price stabilization at around 45 cents per liter in 2023, marking record highs in the sector.
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