MILK PRODUCTION: ANALYSIS OF DATA IN BRAZIL, STATE OF MINAS GERAIS, ZONA DA MATA AND MICROREGION OF VIÇOSA

Abstract

Milk production has economic and social importance, and is present in all Brazilian territory. This study aimed to analyze the evolution of the production of bovine milk in Brazil, in the State of Minas Gerais, in the Zona da Mata and Microregion of Viçosa. Data were obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in the years 2002-2011, with emphasis on milk production and number of cows milked. Thus, we analyzed the annual growth rate of production, the number of cows milked and yield per lactating cow. In the period from 2002 to 2011, milk production in Brazil grew to an annual rate of 4.5%, is explained by the growth in the number of cows milked and by increasing productivity per cow. The volume of milk produced in Minas Gerais grew at a rate of 4% per year. Milk production in the Zona da Mata grew at a rate of 3.5% per year, due to the increase in the number of cows milked. The productivity of the region of Viçosa, in 2011 was 1,277 liters/cow milking/year. And the total milk production grew at a rate of 2.5% per year. Milk production has increased over this period, but it is necessary to specialize the production systems of milk, especially the productivity per animal, to make the activity more profitable and sustainable.