The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is clear: around 150 million households globally are dedicated to milk production. While the Department of agriculture indicates that each Dominican consumed the equivalent of 246 pounds of liquid milk in 2022, 0.4% less than the 247 pounds reported in 2021.
Small and medium producers have executed 60% of the RD$700 million that the Government ordered for the Livestock Improvement Project in the Dominican Republic (Promegan). This means RD$42 million executed between 2021 and so far this year.
This was stated by the president of the Dominican Association of Milk Producers (Aproleche), Erick Riveroduring a thematic breakfast with the livestock subsector, where the progress and scope of the project were presented.
“With this program we can show the efficiency of our livestock sector,” said Rivero. “Of every 100 pesos, 80 pesos are reaching our producers, which means the well-being of the Dominican population”, he added.
A pending initiative, according to Rivero, is the construction of a food laboratory in which Dominicans can be certain of what they consume.
According to the executive director of the National Council for the Regulation and Promotion of the Dairy Industry (Conaleche), Michael Laurianosmall and medium producers have received RD$30 million in support to face the effects of the drought between 2021 and so far in 2023.
The program has carried out 10,500 artificial inseminations with 50% pregnancy effectiveness. Regarding the impact on the promotion of pasture, 88,000 land tasks were registered under three modalities: 45,000 of grass in hand, where the land was prepared and planted; 23,000 to ranchers who worked their land and another 20,000 under zero tillage. The latter were also donated 50,350 pounds of seeds and 4,000 kilograms of herbicide.
The placement of 30 electric fence systems and the electrical conversion of 32 collection centers from conventional to photovoltaic energy were also carried out. The project has provided 58 specimens of calves for pimps. In addition, there is assistance to producers in the eastern region of the country and specific aid to farmers in which animals were delivered because their production was affected by atmospheric phenomena.