Without genetics and without a market, livestock farming does not take off

The national cattle industry is at a crossroads: while most producers still depend on subsistence Creole cattle, a minority group is betting on modernization and genetic quality. Lic. Luis Gustavo Riquelme Huayanay, president of the Peruvian Association of Brangus Breeders, warns that, without a profound change in genetics, education of producers, and direct access to the market, the country will continue to lag behind its South American neighbors. Riquelme argues that Peru should not aim to compete in volume with giants like Brazil or Argentina, but rather in niches of premium and differentiated meat, taking advantage of advantages such as the status of being free of foot-and-mouth disease. However, he warns of structural problems: high credit costs, an excess of intermediaries, the absence of clear public policies, and a critical lack of specialized technicians in cattle farming. The specialist is emphatic: doubling productivity is possible, but only if there is a commitment to ...