Puerto Rico Dairies Struggling to Operate

There are more than 250 licensed dairies in Puerto Rico that have to operate as closely to normal despite recovery operations underway throughout the island.

Carlos Suarez is helping coordinate USDA’s work from the island and said the producers face a major challenge and that’s the lack of hay and other feed for the animals.

“Producers will receive vouchers to go to the three main feeding vendors here on the island and get access to feed from those vendors.”

Suarez said the good news is, “The vendors do have the feed available and they have been working very diligently with us to make sure that this programs runs as smoothly as possible to assist producers that need it the most.”

USDA is providing about $12 million for this effort to help dairy producers on the island.