High temperatures in Colombia’s north have threatened to slow the country’s dairy production, according to the country’s agriculture minister.
Minister Juan Camilo Restrepo claimed Sunday Colombia’s agricultural industries will continue to experience a slowdown as a result of the heat. “This summer will be one of the strongest that the country has experienced,” he said.
Restrepo claimed “improvements in animal genetics(…) cold tanks [used to store milk] and the reconstruction of grasslands with certified seeds(…) are some of the aid offered by the government to the country’s dairy sector.” He also said the government offers subsidies to assist farmers in the industry.
In recent months, Colombia’s farmers have prepared for El Niño, a weather phenomenon that raises temperatures, increasing the likelihood of droughts and forest fires. The regions most at risk are the Atlantic coast, the Andes, and the coffee triangle in central Colombia.