Northern Dairy Farmers seek productivity gains through Costa Rica partnership
By Zoila Palma: Jose Mai, Area Representative for Orange Walk South, this week accompanied members of Northern Dairy Farmers Ltd. and the Belize Livestock Producers Association on a study visit to Costa Rica aimed at strengthening Belize’s dairy industry. The visit comes as local dairy production has remained largely stagnant over the past 15 years, […] The post Northern Dairy Farmers seek productivity gains through Costa Rica partnership appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Black News 
By Zoila Palma: Jose Mai, Area Representative for Orange Walk South, this week accompanied members of Northern Dairy Farmers Ltd. and the Belize Livestock Producers Association on a study visit to Costa Rica aimed at strengthening Belize’s dairy industry.
The visit comes as local dairy production has remained largely stagnant over the past 15 years, despite growing demand and continued investment, resulting in significant imports of dairy products from the United States and Europe.
During the visit, the delegation explored dairy farms and research facilities to learn about tropical cattle breeds that have significantly boosted milk production in Costa Rica.
Farmers toured operations in both hot, humid regions similar to southern Belize and hot, dry areas comparable to northern Belize.
They observed that Girolando (Gir-Holstein) and Guzolando (Guzzerat-Holstein) crossbreeds consistently produced up to 60 pounds of milk per cow daily—more than double the average output of Belize’s predominantly Holstein and Brown Swiss herds, which typically produce about 25 pounds per day under tropical conditions.
The delegation also visited the Centro Internacional de Genética de América Central (CIGAC), which specializes in artificial insemination and embryo transfer technologies, with the tour coordinated by the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE).
Members of Northern Dairy Farmers Ltd. expressed optimism about adopting similar breeding strategies in Belize, viewing the Costa Rican model as a promising opportunity to increase local milk production, improve productivity, and reduce the country’s reliance on imported dairy products.
The post Northern Dairy Farmers seek productivity gains through Costa Rica partnership appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
