Founded in 2016, CapriPinhal has become a reference in the marketing of goat’s milk, majority in cheese industries (cheese factories), most of which are located in Beira Baixa, Alentejo, Ribatejo and Beira Litoral.

The cooperative’s headquarters is located in Proença-a-Nova, in the district of Castelo Branco, with a licensed milk collection center and four vehicles for collecting, distributing and transporting refrigerated raw milk.

Fernando Monteiro, the cooperative’s responsible veteran, explained the increase in business volume was driven by the search for new cooperators, the appreciation of the product and the growth in the cooperative’s credibility.

In 2016, 25 people, most of them goat farmers, formalised the creation of the cooperative, which began collecting milk in 2017, with initial financial support from the Minicipal Council of Proença-a-Nova and currently, CapriPinhal is autonomous and sustainable.

The cooperative collects milk from 50 producers, some of which with seasonal production.

Most of the farmers are located in Pinhal Interior Sul, Ribatejo and Alto Alentejo, as the objective is to “expand the intervention area to the entire national territory”, revealed Fernando Monteiro.

Occasionally, the cooperative exports milk to industries in Spain and also sells organic goat’s milk (with organic product certification).

Some of the milk which is purchased gives rise to cheeses with a Denominação de Origem Protegida (PDO), namely cheese Amarelo da Beira Baixa and cheese Picante da Beira Baixa.

The cooperative began its wholesale milk trading activities in 2017 and ended the year with a turnover of around €250,000.

The following year, the turnover increased to €480,000, reaching €1,050,000 in 2022.

“As an organisation of producers, we seek to plan production, concentrate supply, regulate prices, transform and enhance products, reduce costs and protect the environment, as well as concern for animal welfare”, summarised Fernando Monteiro.

CapriPinhal also aims to qualify the traditional regional goat cheese with a protected denomination, in partnership with local entities.

Future plans also include the collection of sheep’s milk and the local processing products, with the goal of diversifying the offer.