The Association of Cattlemen of Sierra and Oriente AGSO condemned that “in 2022 they entered Ecuador approx 620 MT of powdered milk, which corresponds to 5.5 million liters of milk, from Uruguay, Colombia and Peru. This entry occurred despite the fact that there is a law that does not allow the import of milk powder and whey until 2032.

In this sense, AGSO called on the National Government to stop the import of powdered milk and the smuggling of whey, who recently entered the country. These products, they stated, are sold on the domestic market as a substitute, mixture or milk powder, deceiving the economy and the nutrition of the population, and in addition disrupting domestic milk production.

The statement they made Gabriel Espinosa, president of AGSO, Francisco Chiriboga, president of the Chamber of Agriculture, and representative of the Cayambe communities, Benjamín Tarabata, during a press conference.

Espinosa, indicated that this was known in an official letter to the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Eduardo Izaguirre, dated June 28. However, they regret that there was no answer. In this sense, he said, they decided to turn to the President of the Republic to do something about this and other problems that the livestock sector has.

It is produced commercialized in packages of 200 gr. as a substitute for milk, powder or milk mixtures, which is an economic and food fraud for the Ecuadorian population, he also indicated that this product has also reached small industries that use it in the preparation of their products.

Francisco Chiriboga, president of the Chamber of Agriculture of the First Zone After pointing out that this situation is seriously affecting Ecuadorian producers, he indicated that MAG, Agrocalidad and the Ministry of Health through Arcsa are not doing anything to solve this problem.

He stated that the sector also urgently requires the approval of the Regulation on the Organic Law to promote the production, commercialization, industrialization, consumption and pricing of milk and its derivatives, which should have been issued more than 6 months ago, affecting the producer as he cannot sell the milk at a fair price values.

Likewise, another critical point is the reduction in the use of milk in the PAE school breakfast program, from 4 to 3 days, which affects producers and children in the fight against child malnutrition.

Benjamín Tarabata, a small dairy farmer from the Cayamba area, expressed the indignation that exists among small producers when they see the work they do 365 days a year being replaced by the import of whey, which further affects the economy in the fields and their homes that they already had to endure. high price of agricultural inputs, among others.

At the end, the public was invited to consume domestic milk, but above all to look at the nutritional information on the labels and not to be carried away by misleading advertisements.