Sheep and goat milk production in Spain registered a drop of 4.5% and 5.2% respectively in 2025, according to the latest data analyzed at the sheep and goat milk sector table, where the sector's situation has been reviewed in detail.
In total, farmers delivered 473.02 million liters of sheep milk and 402.83 million liters of goat milk to the industry. The economic value associated with this volume amounts to 1,074 million euros, representing a decrease of 13.3% compared to the previous year, with 640.4 million from sheep milk and 433.3 million linked to goat milk.
The Ministry of Agriculture has highlighted that, despite this production decline, Spain continues to hold a leading position in the European Union, remaining the second largest producer of sheep milk and the third largest producer of goat milk.
The downward trend did not stop in 2026. Data for the first quarter show that sheep milk deliveries have decreased by 6.5% and goat milk deliveries by 10.8% compared to the same period in 2025, confirming the continuation of the downward trend.
The meeting of the sheep and goat milk sector table, chaired by the Secretary General of Agrarian Resources and Food Security, Ana Rodríguez, also served to review the general context of the activity and address the main concerns of the different sector agents.
Among the causes for the reduction in production, several combined factors are pointed out, such as the decrease in the number of farms and producing animals, as well as the sanitary situation of the herds, which could be causing fertility problems and increased mortality.
Regarding price trends, sheep milk is showing a phase of stabilization or slight downward correction, standing at around 10-11 euros per hectograde, in line with the average recorded over the last five years.
Conversely, the price of goat milk maintains an upward trajectory and in 2025 reached 13 euros per hectograde, above the levels of 2023, which until then marked the highs of the last five years. This production scenario is accompanied by a certain stabilization of estimated feeding costs for these species, which provides some relief to farms.
The sectoral committee has also examined the evolution of foreign trade in cheeses, an area in which Spain plays a prominent role. In 2025, exports increased by 4.9% in volume and 4.6% in value. However, imports grew more intensely, by 6.4% in volume and 10.8% in value, so the trade balance continues to show a negative balance.
During the meeting, the different food promotion campaigns, both in the domestic and foreign markets, promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and by the sector itself, were reviewed. These initiatives are considered a key tool to reinforce the competitiveness and visibility of sheep and goat dairy products.
Likewise, the Secretary General of Agrarian Resources and Food Security presented the current situation of the main diseases affecting small ruminants and insisted on the importance of maintaining adequate sanitary protection for livestock. In this regard, she stressed that vaccination is the main prevention tool "in a context of high vector activity".
At the meeting, the aid provided by some autonomous communities to facilitate voluntary vaccination against the different serotypes of bluetongue virus present in Spain was also reviewed.