At
mild
temperature
Demand for dairy
productswas impacted
by the unfavorable
economic scenario, while
the perspective for future
recovery continues in
linewith this situation
T
he dairy sector, which serves the
domestic market almost in its
entirety, depends directly on the
purchasing power of the popu-
lation. Suffering from the effects
of the economic crisis, demand for milk and
derivatives did not present any big changes
in the market in recent times, remaining at
a level of approximately 175 liters of milk per
capitaayear,whichwasachieved in2015, ac-
cording to numbers released by the Nation-
al Food Supply Agency (Conab). The expec-
tation in 2017 was for the eagerly-awaited
reaction of the economy, paving the way for
increases inconsumption.
Halfway through 2017, the industrial area
was still sensing the difficulties stemming
from the low buying power of the Brazilian
people. In thepublicarea,researchersandan-
alysts at Embrapa Dairy Cattle, in an analysis
of the scenario in themonthof July, reiterated
that “demand for dairy products had not yet
soared significantly in 2017”. Nevertheless,
they took it that “falling interest rates and a
drop in inflation, as a whole, could stimulate
consumptionasof the secondhalf in2017”.
In linewith this, and in the same period of
theyear,analystMariaHelenaFagundes,from
Conab, maintained that “the expectation
for a recovery of the Gross Domestic Prod-
uct (GDP) by upwards of 0.3 percent in 2017,
aligned with efforts to keep inflation under
control, could mean an improvement of the
income and job situation, encouraging con-
sumption and consequent production recov-
ery”. Inher calculations, consumptionwas still
at levels similar to the ones estimated for the
previous year, where some kind of recovery
was ascertained, after reductions, but still at
around175litersperpersonayear.
On the demand side, even in the social
class with higher buying power, what de-
served attention was the survey that detect-
ed that the lack of information or wrong in-
formation has an influence on the milk for
feeding the children. For this reason, an in-
dependent movement encouraging the
consumption of dairy products (Drink more
milk”)wascreatedbymothersandveterinary
doctors who had graduated from the Veteri-
naryCollegeattheFederalUniversityofMinas
Gerais (UFMG), and are actively involved with
dairyfarmsformorethan15years.
“As mothers and veterinary doctors, we
advocate the consumption of dairy prod-
ucts as part of a healthy diet for children,
adults and elderly people”, says coordinator
Ana Paula Menegatti. The move approaches
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