Milk production down 50% in Azuero region

LACK OF WATER and pasture in the Azuero region has cut milk production, specifically in the province of Los Santos, by 50%.

Breeders in the region report suffering though five months of water shortage.
Mercedes De Leon who transports milk in the area, said that the 3000 liters trucked daily during the rainy season, is currently down to 800 liters.
Hesaid that the same behavior is observed in other transport routes in the province, because the cattle have lower weight due to the lack of water and pasture reports La Prensa.
Producer Cristina Rodriguez,, said that since January when she stopped milking on her farm, she has been unable to revive the activity to produce 40 liters supplied by her herd.
Maximum Cedeno, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of Las Tablas and member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said most of the cattle ranches are taking water from the few wells that remain, because the streams have dried up
The most critical areas affected by the lack of water are in the Macaracas district.
Cattle that still produce in the region have dropped 40% by weight and 50% in milk production, because they are only taking water twice a day, instead of three, which makes the situation “very critical and there are already thousands of dollars losses, “said Cedeno.
Panama ranks last among milk producing countries in the region.
The 6000 small and medium producers who produce milk Grade C reach a productivity performance less than five liters of milk per cow in one day, according to official data.
Each year the industry imports about 130 million liters of milk, which translates into 46% market dependence on foreign product.
In the country 85% of the production of fluid milk in the hands of small and medium producers.