Uruguay: Milk producers run into debt and face an uncertain future

On Uruguayan dairy farms, the situation is increasingly complicated. With the increase in feed and forage prices, heifers and cows that have started to calve, the lower milk production and higher indebtedness is due to the need for cows to eat to produce milk; producers do not know what else to do and put their income at risk. In the traditional dairy basin, formed by Canelones, Florida and San José, the rains were scarce, the oats that would form quick reserves for the autumn can no longer be planted and now it is necessary to think about planting ryegrass. The problem is that the soil lacks moisture for the planting to thrive. There were producers who wanted to return the oat seed they bought, because they will not be able to plant it, but the return was not accepted. “The milk that was lost will no longer be recovered, but the worse are the consequences of the drought, how much more are we going to lose and to what extent are small producers willing to go into debt to continue ...