Galicia lost 88% of its dairy farms but produces more milk

Galicia’s dairy industry has undergone a long period of consolidation and expansion in farm size. The region had slightly more than 39,000 farms in 1999; about 4,800 remain active today, representing a decline of roughly 88% in almost three decades.

Milk output has moved in the opposite direction. Galicia currently supplies more than 3m tonnes a year, compared with under 2m tonnes around two decades ago. The region accounts for 42% of Spain’s cow-milk production and 56% of the country’s producers.

The change is also visible in the distribution of farm sizes. In 2008, about 10,000 holdings had fewer than 50 cattle and made up 75% of the total. Today, fewer than 1,900 such farms remain.

At the larger end of the sector, 617 holdings had more than 200 cattle in 2025, compared with just over 100 around two decades earlier. Farms with 300, 500, 600 and more than 1,000 animals are now present in the region, while holdings milking more than 500 cows are no longer unusual.

About 1,000 farms, or one-quarter of Galicia’s total, produce approximately 80% of its milk. The increase in output has coincided with changes in genetics, feed, milking, animal welfare, technology and management, according to the report.

Further expansion faces regulatory and structural limits. Spain’s 2022 rules on cattle-farm organisation set a ceiling of 850 livestock units for new farms and certain expansions. Farms approaching that threshold may need to acquire nearby holdings or operate production units in different locations. The report also cites the ageing of farmers and a shortage of successors as factors that could further reduce the number of farms in the coming years.