Lomba Da Maia - Economy

Economy

The economy of Lomba da Maia is dominated by agriculture, centered exclusively in dairy production. The effect of dairy production can be seen in the semi-permanent pasturelands throughout the interior, the cultivation of corn and sillage, and the even the parish flag, which incorporates a Holstein cow. Further, the cultivation of tobacco, sugar beats and, until recently chickory, have been important crops historically, but have lost their importance to the dairy industry. Flax was also cultivated in this area, for the threshing mills of Riberia Grande.

In parallel, smaller businesses have supported these communities: commercial shops, cafés and more recently, the expansion of rural tourism, centered on the old Herdade de Nossa Senhora das Graças. The production of local ceramic tiles, also an historically important part of the community, has long since been discontinued, but continues on the area of Telhal (which is toponomic variation on the Portuguese word for tile).