摘要:The following article aims to analyze the main elements that contributed to the productive specialization, mostly at the milk activity, in the Northeast Rio Grande do Sul. It was taken in account the maintenance of a dependent relation among processing factories and the milk producers. Besides that, it is proposed a discussion about the action of the large acreage owners and the supposed stagnated situation of the region, towards the integration to the milk agro-industrial complex. The procedures included the analysis of theory references and field researches, and the visitation to milk producer’s properties. As results, an initial duality can be pointed: the integration with the agro-industrial complex guarantees the preservation of the family based production unity, although it does not guarantee its long term expansion; on the other hand, by keeping a regular income, it does not stimulate the search for alternatives able to promote autonomy towards the system. The integration also promotes horizontal differentiation of the production unities, by excluding those which do not fulfill the technological demands. These face obstacles looking for other strategies, once the milk production is regionally disseminated, what does not consider other activities, mainly on the behalf of institutions or public extension agents.