By The Star Staff
Faced with the crisis in the dairy industry caused by numerous factors, Sen. Keren Riquelme Cabrera on Monday called an emergency meeting of members of the sector, including the Milk Producers Association, the Farmers Association, the Office for the Regulation of the Dairy Industry and the island Department of Agriculture, in order to find solutions to avoid milk shortages.
The meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. in the senator’s office at the Capitol in Puerta de Tierra.
“Although traditionally, September and October are a period when milk production drops due to the lack of raw material for the product, it is no less true that other factors, such as the closure of the Suiza Dairy plant and the prohibition of importing from the continental United States market due to the avian influenza virus that is on the rise in some 14 states, are also at play,” Riquelme said. “We also recognize the issue of the age of the cows, but something must be done to prevent these declines.”
“The aim of this meeting is to listen to all sectors,” the New Progressive Party senator added. “I recently visited the Tres Monjitas plant to learn about the challenges and their performance in the market and to hear proposals on how we can increase milk production in Puerto Rico. This is a very important issue for us, which is why we are calling this meeting urgently because we want to hear from farmers, the Department of Agriculture and other associations with an interest in this pressing issue.”
“What we seek is to establish a dialogue between all parties, promote milk consumption in Puerto Rico and improve payment to ranchers, in order to encourage local milk production,” Riquelme said. “This is a sector that employs around 25,000 people directly and indirectly and has over 100,000 acres of grazing land. It is up to us to work to ensure that this sector continues to be prosperous, and of the highest quality, while we adapt to the current market reality.”
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