Portuguese Dairy Producers Struggle with Lowest EU Milk Prices

In December 2024, Portuguese dairy producers received an average price of 45.8 cents per kilogram of milk, marking the lowest among the 27 EU states and nine cents below the EU average. While milk prices increased across most of the EU in the latter half of 2024, Portugal did not experience this upward trend.

According to the European Commission, as of January 2025, the average milk price in Spain was 47.96 cents per kilogram, still below the EU average of 54.3 cents. Although Spain's prices showed slight recovery, they remain far fr om those seen in higher-paying countries like Italy and Germany, wh ere prices exceed 54 cents per kilogram.

APROLEP, the Portuguese Association of Milk Producers, urges the industry to follow European trends and increase milk acquisition prices to ensure the survival and sustainability of the sector. Although the current price covers production costs, it does not allow for investments in efficiency, modernization, and animal welfare.

In addition to price adjustments, APROLEP calls for greater investment support under the Common Agricultural Policy (PEPAC), particularly for producers who do not qualify as young farmers and thus miss out on funding opportunities.