Considering the wide set of data available on milk sector as well as the time series for some of the contents and the fact that at 2015 April 1st, 31 years after being put into practice, the milk quota system was abolished, Statistics Portugal decided to compile and provide a specific publication with all the information available on this important agricultural sector.

Published information covers data on farm structure, dairy livestock, cow´s milk production and collection, prices and international trade.

It is expected that this publication could be a reference for a better understanding of this branch of Portuguese agriculture and help to promote discussion and reflection on this subject, particularly convenient when, following the end of the milk quota regime, the EU is implementing measures in order to control excess production (extension of the public intervention scheme for skimmed milk and butter) and to promote their reduction (150 package million for the EU27), which are associated to aid conditional adjustment to the activity (EUR 350 million package for the EU27).