Ten Veracruz Milk Collection Centres Support Dairy Farmers

The collection network includes facilities in the southern basin, notably in Isla, Jesús Carranza and Las Choapas. Each centre has a laboratory operated by Leche para el Bienestar, where milk is checked for density, butterfat, acidity and contaminants before it is transferred to refrigerated tanks.

Milk is cooled to 4°C before transport. The measure is used in a tropical climate where temperatures commonly exceed 35°C. Tanker trucks then carry the stabilised product to public pasteurisation and dehydration plants.

The centres purchase raw cow’s milk under the official guaranteed price of 11.50 pesos per litre. Transactions are based on certified weighing and laboratory analysis, providing a formal delivery channel for small and medium-sized farms that previously had limited access to organised buyers.

The network operates in a market where informal buyers and small cheesemakers can offer lower prices during the rainy season, when pasture and milk supplies increase. The state-run channel also directs whole fresh milk into public supply networks, while the source reports concern over retail products made with vegetable fats and other substitutes.

Veracruz has the largest registered bovine herd among Mexico’s states, with more than four million head. Collection points reduce the distance that small producers must cover to deliver milk, while state animal-health campaigns address threats including screwworm. The source also cites rising expenses for mineral salts, energy supplements, preventive veterinary care and milking labour.

The longer-term operation of the system depends, according to the source, on regular electronic payments to farmers. Weekly settlements are described as important to maintaining deliveries, while stable contracts would allow local associations to invest in breeding, feeding facilities and silvopastoral management. The collection centres form part of federal and state efforts to incorporate southeastern producing areas into Mexico’s food self-sufficiency programme.