El Niño killed 19,030 cattle and caused COP95.065bn in losses
Fedegán-FNG estimated that the climate emergency caused 19,030 bovine deaths in Colombia. Its assessment put the total economic impact at 95,065 million Colombian pesos, covering livestock losses, production that was not obtained and animal-transport expenses.
The largest component was the value of dead cattle, estimated at COP52,238m. Foregone production accounted for COP27,479m, while relocating animals represented a further COP15,348m.
Water and feed shortages also led producers to move livestock. Casanare recorded the highest number of relocated cattle, at 167,011, followed by Magdalena, Boyacá, Sucre and Bolívar.
Flooding affected other parts of the country. The report listed 502,316 affected hectares in Caquetá, 216,374 in Casanare and 17,767 in Arauca. It said the response required different measures depending on the location and the conditions of each farm.
Fedegán-FNG said its calculation did not include the cost of restoring damaged farms or all related economic losses. The estimate therefore does not necessarily represent the final cost of the emergency to the livestock sector.
The report did not quantify specific losses for dairy farming or identify a national decline in milk output. It said that drought can reduce pasture availability and increase the need for stored feed or supplementation, while floods can restrict access to grazing areas and disrupt routine animal management. Forest fires can also affect pasture, feed reserves, water sources and farm infrastructure.
Ricardo Arenas Ovalle, Fedegán's coordinator for the meat and milk chains, said farms should focus on securing feed, improving water management and prioritising animal health and welfare. The assessment was published as Colombia's government prepared measures for agricultural producers affected by El Niño, including proposals to reschedule financial obligations and temporarily defer loan payments. At the time of the report, the implementation of those measures and the conditions for accessing them had not been defined.
