The president and administrator of Los Laureles Milk Producers Association, Cumbal, Nariño, Colombia, share their association’s success story:

We founded our association on August 19, 2004, with 33 members, who are owners of the association and beneficiaries of the USAID-funded Dairy Development Program implemented by Land O'Lakes, Inc. When we first organized our association, we sold our milk to intermediaries or to Ecuador and we were not organized. However, thanks to the program’s assistance, we now have a milk collection center and run our own business.

We became aware of the Dairy Development Program through meetings held in our district of Laurel in the municipality of Cumbal, Nariño, where many of our association members are present. We decided to accept the assistance because it offered us a solution to poppy crops—dairy as an alternative to improve our way of living and welfare.

We started the milk collection center and organized ourselves. At the beginning we had a few challenges. The people of the local community did not believe us, the intermediaries did not want us to stop selling them milk, and there were negative comments from the district neighbors who were not part of the program because they did not meet the requirements.

The Los Laureles Milk Producer Association of Colombia has benefited from the Dairy Development Program with resources for its milk collection center operation, training for its operators and beneficiaries, and technical assistance in the management and administration of the center. Our milk collection center has also received contributions from the program such as the refrigerating tank, the generator and the laboratory equipment.

The association members support the milk collection center by delivering all the milk that they produce on their farms; each associate brings in a few liters of milk to the tank daily. But, when we add the liters monthly, we all see the collection progress. Every associate contributes new and good ideas for the benefit and progress of the association.

The number of producers has increased. Before the milk collection center existed, our milk production was only 250 liters per day, and now we are collecting 1,100 liters per day. Our milk price has also improved from $400 pesos per liter to $560 pesos per liter, including the Methylene Blue Reduction Test bonus, plus a 10 percent savings per liter to cover association costs.

Belonging to the association makes us feel supported, confident in our farm production and at ease since we have a secure market. If the association members keep delivering quality milk to the milk collection center, we will be able to guarantee our clients a good product and therefore always have a secure market.

We believe the milk collection center is sustainable because we trust in ourselves, in delivering good quality milk, and in administering properly our production to make the milk collection center profitable. From our point of view, the milk collection center is progressive; it is an alternative to illicit cultivation and it improves the lives and welfare of our families.