Milk Collection in Mato Grosso Hits Lowest Level in Two Decades

In the first quarter of 2026, Mato Grosso reported a sharp decline in milk collection, reaching the lowest level for this period since 2006. This comes in stark contrast to the national trend, where Brazil achieved a record high in milk collection for the same timeframe.

The Instituto Mato-Grossense de Economia Agropecuária (Imea) noted that milk collection in Mato Grosso decreased by 14.82% compared to the first quarter of 2025, amounting to 86.74 million liters. This decline is attributed to the exit of a major dairy processor from the western region of the state and a reduction in the number of active milk producers, driven by high production costs.

Nationally, Brazil collected 6.78 billion liters of milk between January and March 2026, marking the highest volume ever recorded for a first quarter. The Southern Region of Brazil was a significant contributor, accounting for 41.17% of the country's total milk collection and increasing its production by 7.45% compared to the same period in 2025.

Minas Gerais maintained its leading position among Brazilian states with 1.67 billion liters collected, a 1.62% increase from the first quarter of the previous year. These figures highlight the uneven distribution of milk production growth across different regions in Brazil.

The contrasting trends emphasize the challenges faced by Mato Grosso, as other major milk-producing regions in Brazil expanded their volumes while Mato Grosso experienced one of its lowest outputs in recent years.