Yotala loses dairy producers after PIL Chuquisaca and another buyer close

Yotala, a municipality that has historically supplied milk and dairy products to Sucre, has seen its dairy activity decline following the closure of PIL Chuquisaca and another private company that purchased output from the area. Enrique Melendres, president of the Yotala Dairy Farmers’ Association, said current production is about 20% of its former level, implying a reduction of roughly 80%.

The number of producers has also fallen. About six years ago, the association represented more than 80 producers; it now has 38 members. Herd sizes have declined as well. Melendres said it was previously common for farms to keep between ten and 20 cattle, while many now have fewer than ten.

The closures have reduced the number of regular outlets for milk. Producers are asking Yotala’s municipal government and the Chuquisaca departmental government to help establish new sales channels. The association says it needs buyers able to take milk consistently before it can increase production.

Drought has added to the pressure on farms. Yotala mayor Sabino Albarracín said reduced access to forage has increased reliance on purchased feed, while the price of concentrated animal feed has also risen. The price currently reported for milk in Yotala is about Bs 10 per litre, but Albarracín said higher input costs have not been matched by an equivalent increase in the milk price, leaving limited returns after expenses.

Albarracín also identified milk from Cochabamba as a competitive factor for producers in Yotala. Despite the contraction, the municipality remains an important dairy-producing area for Chuquisaca, and much of the milk and dairy products historically supplied to Sucre has come from there. With industrial buyers gone, some production has shifted towards local sales and small-scale processing, including yoghurt, cheese and other products.

Yotala will hold a Milk and Dairy Products Fair on Sunday from 8am at the Santiago Arana sports court. Producers from Yotala and nearby municipalities are expected to offer natural and Greek yoghurt, cheese, handmade ice cream and other regional products. The event precedes Bolivia’s National Milk Day, observed on October 26, and the municipality said it wants the fair to expand to a departmental-level event in coming years.