Spain: Two dairy farms closed a day in 2021

The situation of low milk prices, together with the high production costs faced by farms, is causing a continuous stream of farm closures in Spain. In 2021, 655 dairy farms closed, from 12,079 in January 2021 to 11,424 in December of the same year, which means that about two farms closed every day in country, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture. The Union of Small Farmers and Cattlemen (UPA) attributes this situation to the context of low milk prices that Spain drags for years. Large distribution uses milk as a product demanded by consumers, keeping prices very low. In turn, industries pressure producers with prices below production costs. The UPA denounced that Spanish milk producers receive one of the lowest prices in all of Europe for cow's milk. According to data for the month of December, only ranchers from Portugal and Hungary sell milk cheaper than Spain, which is tied for last place with Croatia and Slovenia, at 0.36 euros/litre. If we look at the average ...