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The dairy sector in the Azores Islands: possibilities and main constraints towards increased added value
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Orientador(es)
Resumo(s)
The Azores archipelago is the most suitable region for dairy production in Portugal, representing 30% of the overall Portuguese
dairy production. It has a production system characterized by an average milk yield of 6216 kg/cow/year, and the predominance
of pasture-based feeding and cows that have longer productive lives and lower incidence of metabolic/production diseases, such
as acidosis or mastitis. The biggest problem with the Azores Islands dairy sector is the cost of transport, as the main markets are
located in continental Portugal, over 1500 km away, and local dairy products have to compete with dairy products produced in
mainland Portugal and in the rest of the European Union. Herein, the evolution of the dairy sector in the Azores Islands from 2007
to 2017 is presented. A SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) analysis was performed to find potential solutions
to increase the value of the Azorean dairy sector. The most relevant solution considered was the valorization of the dairy
production through three major aspects: higher milk quality, namely, better organoleptic properties; lower carbon footprint
(not considering transport costs); and higher levels of animal welfare. Three examples are shown of such valorization: protected
denomination of origin (PDO) cheeses, the “happy cows” program, and the production of an organic milk, from the Terceira
Island. Some of these programs are relatively recent, so, it will be interesting to see how their sales and acceptance by consumers
evolve, particularly under the current economic framework
Descrição
Technical Note
Palavras-chave
cow milk cheese Holstein dairy sector valorization protected denomination of origin (PDO)
Contexto Educativo
Citação
Tropical Animal Health and Production (2021) 53:40
Editora
Springer