By The Star Staff
Agriculture Secretary Ramón González Beiró said Monday that the agency has worked so that the situation between Suiza Dairy and General Workers Central (CGT by its initials in Spanish) does not hinder the consumption of milk or its production.
He said there have been no major losses in the industry.
“The situation is difficult for Suiza employees and we have extended our full support to them,” González Beiró said in a written statement. “We have ensured that both consumers and farmers are not affected by the conflict. Our commitment has been firm and from day one we have taken the necessary measures to guarantee that the product reaches the tables of our families in Puerto Rico without interruptions.”
Since the beginning of the demonstration, the Agriculture secretary said, the agency has been working with the parties involved and other production plants such as Indulac and Tres Monjitas to implement contingency plans. The plans have included the coordination of alternative carriers for distribution to businesses, efforts with Tres Monjitas to acquire additional resources for collecting milk from farms, and guaranteeing payment to dairy farmers.
“We also collaborated with the Suiza plant in Aguadilla for UHT milk,” González Beiró said.
“Between the two plants, around 4,200,000 liters are processed every 14 days and Tres Monjitas was able to process it on the same days,” he noted. “Now, we are looking for other measures to improve distribution, which has represented a challenge, but has not left the consumer without a product as essential as milk. We have managed to mitigate the risks and ensure that our supply chain remains intact despite the strike situation.”
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