Abstract
The first Brazilian agricultural census in 1920 recorded that Minas Gerais produced half of the milk sold in the country and almost two thirds of the cheese, but accounted for only 20.6% of the country’s bovine cattle. Despite its economic relevance – in 2020 it was responsible for 35% of the agricultural GDP of Minas Gerais – dairy farming has not received significant historiographic attention. Drawing from diverse quantitative and qualitative sources, this article presents decisive aspects of dairy farming in Minas Gerais, which dates back to 18th century and gained strength in the nineteenth century thanks to consumer market growth, bovine milk aptitude and the early dissemination of an African forage crop known as “capim-gordura” (Melinis minutiflora).
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