The price of 12 pesos per liter of milk paid to producers in Mazatlán is jeopardizing Sinaloa’s main dairy region, warned José Antonio Lizárraga Rivera.
The president of the Local Livestock Association in Mazatlán indicated that some producers are beginning to switch to selling meat products because the price of milk is no longer sufficient to cover the operating costs of their business.
“I believe that if this situation isn’t resolved, if the government doesn’t focus on stopping the indiscriminate importation of milk from the United States, the dairy sector, the Mazatlán dairy region, is in danger. Frankly, I talk with my associates, all the members of the association, and they all agree that milk is very cheap,” he said.
Lizárraga Rivera commented that they are paying 80 pesos per kilo of live calves.
He indicated that this issue is already on the table for both state and federal governments, regarding the prices they pay for milk, which is why they see a greater future in meat as an alternative for producers.
“The sector here in Mazatlán is already becoming more focused on meat than dairy. People are turning to meat because, unfortunately, milk is very cheap, and producing milk here is very expensive. So, people are turning to meat. What are they doing? Well, they’re raising cattle, breeding bulls focused more on meat than milk,” he reiterated.
The president of the Mazatlán Cattle Ranchers Association indicated that they are seeking a balance, but the reality is that 10 years ago the region produced 120,000 liters of milk; now it only reaches 100,000.
Source: oem
