The Colombian Dairy Sector Forecasts Recovery by 2025 but Faces Structural Challenges
The Colombian dairy sector, collecting over 3.3 billion liters of raw milk in 2024, shows signs of improvement as the industry looks towards 2025. Consumption recovered by a slight 0.9% in comparison to 2023, indicating a promising year ahead.
However, the sector continues to face significant challenges requiring structural changes to ensure growth and stability. These challenges are crucial for one of the most vital sectors in terms of national economic impact and the nutritional health of Colombians.
The dairy industry has been battling market volatility, climate change repercussions, inflation, and high levels of informality in milk production and processing, estimated at nearly 50%. Such issues have restricted consumer access to quality products at reasonable prices and undercut the sector's competitiveness.
To address these, Ana María Gómez Montes, executive president of the Colombian Association of Milk Processors (Asoleche), highlights the need for a strategic, long-term approach. "The challenge for 2025 is to address the sector's issues with a structural strategy, moving past short-term reactions to events like the 'milk surge' or droughts. We must boost the dairy chain, improve consumption, and foster innovative product offerings that match the quality, cost, and nutritional needs of Colombians," she asserts.
Despite obstacles, the sector has considerable strengths. Colombia benefits from a diverse and high-quality array of dairy products thanks to the collaborative efforts between processors and producers. Government and industry support are crucial to rejuvenate the sector's vitality, profitability, and sustainability.
Beyond domestic resilience, enhancing dairy exports is also a focus. Currently, the country struggles with export capabilities due to sanitary and logistical barriers. With governmental and industrial backing, expanding into international markets could generate new opportunities for milk producers and processors.
The development of technology in production likewise plays a pivotal role in the sector's modernization. Innovations in cattle feeding, milking automation, and better refrigeration and transport infrastructure can mitigate losses and increase competitiveness.
An emphasis on education and training for producers, particularly smaller farmers, could greatly enhance their production quality and profitability, thus strengthening the entire value chain. By achieving synergy between public and private sectors, 2025 has the potential to become a transformative year for Colombian dairy, cementing it as a sustainable, profitable, and competitive force both nationally and globally.
