Camagüey loses more than half of its milk production in five years

The province of Camagüey, which for years was the largest producer of milk in Cuba, has seen its annual output plummet to less than half of the 92 million liters produced in 2019, a decline that is not only numerical but also reflects a structural crisis characterized by disorder, unpaid debts, and a lack of effective responses.

In 2024, only 41.1 million liters of milk were gathered. In nine municipalities of the province, children receive only half a liter daily, or one liter every two days. If the trend does not change, in three years, milk will be available only every three days, even in key areas of the so-called milk basin.

According to René Mola Valera, provincial director of Milk Collection, a daily deposit of 90,000 liters is needed to meet medical diets and supply pregnant women, a target that has not been reached in the area for years. This shortfall explains why medical diets have not been distributed for some time, while even the children's quota, which requires at least 50,000 liters daily, is often not met.

This was revealed by the official newspaper Granma in two reports that expose the chaos, unpaid debts, and institutional neglect that have plunged the livestock system in the Agramonte region into crisis.

The reasons are documented: 2,620 producers (36% of those contracted) have failed to fulfill their agreements with the industry, while 993 have not delivered a single liter so far in 2025. In total, nearly 300,000 liters did not reach their destination, which amounts to several days of distribution for the entire pediatric and medical population of the province.

Municipalities such as Santa Cruz del Sur, Minas, and Nuevitas have the worst indicators, with half of their contracted producers not fulfilling their obligations. In those with the highest volume, like Guáimaro, Sibanicú, or Vertientes, non-compliance exceeds 30%. Without milk, there is no diet, and without a functional payment structure, there is no motivation to produce, the source indicated.

Prolonged non-payments, lack of basic supplies, impassable roads, empty stores, and a complete lack of access to cash are among the many obstacles. Producers claim that digital payment isn’t working: there is no signal, no electricity, and no money in the banks. The farmer returns home without being paid, unable to compensate his workers, and thus has no incentive. Many have withdrawn, sold their livestock, or simply stopped delivering.

This is compounded by institutional neglect, with production bases signing contracts without knowing how many cows their members have. Others, like the UBPC Batalla de Jimaguayú, bill with months of delays and without providing explanations to their producers.

According to data from the Livestock Department of the Provincial Delegation of Agriculture in Camagüey, the province recorded a total of 432,749 head of cattle by the end of 2024, which represents a loss of more than 66,000 animals compared to the previous year. So far in 2025, over 4,300 cattle have been lost.

In parallel, the livestock system loses thousands of animals due to deaths, illegal slaughter, and mismanagement. Only in 2024, nearly 58,963 deaths and 7,143 clandestine slaughters were recorded.

"Last year, due to theft, sacrifices, and deaths for other reasons, the number of lost cattle was equivalent to that of a municipality. If this trend continues, in about 15 years there will be no cattle farming in Camagüey, let alone milk,” warned the media outlet.

Authorities admit that many usufructuaries received land without knowledge of livestock management, which has resulted in poor handling of an unproductive mass and a constant decline. Moreover, attempts at control, such as monthly diagnostics or artificial insemination, hardly work due to a lack of nitrogen, spare parts, or transportation.

Today, more than 15% of the cooling tanks are broken. The collection center is forced to convert milk into cheese to prevent losses, while refrigeration centers and trucks are operating at enormous additional costs.

And all this happens despite the state-owned Dairy Company claiming to pay 70 pesos per liter, even though that results in a loss of 31 pesos for every subsidized liter sold. In 2024, according to their own data, they lost over 220 million pesos just to keep the price of milk at 25 cents for children.

The announced solutions, such as new cold storage facilities or better hiring practices, do not address the root of the problem: a disjointed system, unable to guarantee the basics, with an industry that is bleeding out and producers who are throwing in the towel. Meanwhile, empty glasses remain on the tables in Camagüey, children are without their daily quota of milk, and a livestock industry that today is barely a shadow of what it once was.

In a speech delivered in his capacity as a leader in 2007, Army General Raúl Castro criticized the fact that Cubans only received milk until the age of seven and asserted that this had to change. In 2021 he left the Council of State without changing this dire reality. Eighteen years after his promise, the situation remains the same, and families are raising their children without this and other food products.

It was recently revealed that the state-owned Río Zaza has accumulated massive debts with producers and has caused a crisis that affects the supply of milk to pregnant women, children, and people on medical diets in Sancti Spíritus, one of the main supplying provinces in the country.

Since late 2023, the dairy industry in Cuba has shown clear signs of structural collapse. Last November, the then Minister of Food Industry acknowledged that the country did not have enough milk to supply the entire population, and that the goal was to ensure "a portion" for the most vulnerable groups, a unprecedented admission of state limitations in securing a product deemed essential.

A month later, the government announced that it would provide powdered milk only to children from zero to six years old, excluding pregnant women and other traditionally supported groups. This measure sparked outrage and highlighted the worsening shortages.

The crisis was not limited to the shortage of the product itself. In Ciego de Ávila, the lack of powdered milk led to replacing it with a "vitamin drink" in children's diets.

This decision was heavily criticized by nutritionists and families, who deemed it inadequate both nutritionally and symbolically, as it reflects a departure from the Cuban state's historical commitment.

When detailing the capture of five individuals for stealing 197 bags of powdered milk intended for babies from the company En Frigo in East Havana, police authorities explained that the main recipient of the product had allegedly paid three million Cuban pesos for the merchandise and was reselling it in a cafeteria in Boyeros municipality at a price of 1,650 pesos per pound, aiming to achieve a profit exceeding 12 million pesos.

Meanwhile, on the black market, a kilogram of powdered milk can cost up to 2,000 Cuban pesos (almost a minimum wage). Although the product is available in stores that accept foreign currency (MLC), its price in dollars makes it unaffordable for most Cuban families, who rely on the deteriorating rationing system.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Dairy Crisis in Camagüey and Cuba