The Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers has positioned itself in favor of the direct sale of raw milk by Spanish livestock farms. The recent approval of a decree that regulates this practice in Catalonia has aroused the interest of the entire livestock sector and also certain doubts on the part of consumers in relation to this product.
“The farmers can supply without any problem a product on which there is a growing interest”, said Román Santalla, Secretary of Livestock of UPA. The regulation in Catalonia makes “urgent”, in his opinion, the approval of a national regulation that makes clear the norms to the farmers and “gives all the guarantees” to the consumers.
Dairy farmers see in the sale of raw milk an opportunity to diversify their farms and obtain a fair price for premium milk. The sanitary status of the Spanish livestock is excellent, above the European average, so raw milk, say from UPA, can be sold without problem and consumed without fear, always taking into account that you have to boil the milk and keep it correctly – a maximum of 72 hours from milking – to eliminate possible microorganisms.
“Consumers know that you have to wash the vegetables well, cook the meat well or freeze the fish so that its consumption is perfectly safe. It is possible and just that raw milk has a gap in the Spanish market, we see no problem in it, “said Santalla. The regulations must be very demanding with the sanitary requirements that must be met by farms that want to market raw milk. “The main objective is that consumers can have an exquisite product, with great gastronomic potential and with all the sanitary guarantees”, they affirm. “It is possible, fair and necessary to regulate the direct sale of raw milk,” they conclude.
