Trias is working on a dairy chain in Ecuador
Family dairy farmers in the Ecuadorian province of Chimborazo have a hard time making ends meet. Colach, a local Trias partner, wants to stimulate the cheese production in order to boost their return.
© Trias
Colach acts as an umbrella organization for seven Ecuadorian associations, who in turn represent a total of 250 cheese producers. Some of these farmers produce their cheese on their own farm, other farmers share a single processing installation to which they deliver their milk. As a result of this a total of a thousand farmers are connected to Colach.
These mixed agricultural undertakings usually own no more than five hectares of land and have to make do with an average of three cows. About eighty percent of the milk is bought by large dairy concerns such as Nutrileche and Nestlé. The rest is processed into young white cheese by the dairy farmers and their cheese cooperatives.
The cows in Chimborazo, local old cow breeds, are honored for their milk production. But with an average of eight liters a day the yield of these cows is very low, due to a lack of qualitative fodder. Colach tries to remedy this by using more profitable types of grass in order to stimulate the dairy cows.
Concerning dairy processing Colach wants to standardize the cheese production, in order to increase the quality. Colach itself also exploits a small shop where they sell cheese made by their members. The shop also offers a variety of other dairy products, as well as fertilizers and seeds for better grassland.
The young partner organization still has a long road ahead. But the increasing recognition of Colach by the Ecuadorian government is a good sign. For example, the Ecuadorian ministries have requested Colach to organize trainings for other cheese producers.
In the Andes region, Trias is active in both Ecuador and Peru. In 2010, Trias spent 764 299 euros in the region, thereby reaching over 195 000 small entrepreneurs.