Representatives from the field attend seminar featuring government authorities, U.S. and Uruguayan dairy experts
Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2003

 

Gabriel Pascual of Pascual Dairy, Dr. Theresa Boyle, APHIS, in the first day of the Dairy Seminar in Montevideo	Economics Officer Joyce Wong, Dr. Juan Rodriguez Servetti, director of quality, coordinator of institutional relations at LATU, and Political/Economics Counselor Oliver Griffith open the conference in Montevideo.
Embassy representatives, conference speakers join "Grupo de los 30," cheesemakers from San Jose and Colonia, who specialize in artesanal cheeses.	Political/Economic Counselor Oliver Griffith, Dr. Carlos Moreira, mayor of Colonia, and Juan Chiruchi, mayor of San Jose, during the second day of the conference in San Jose

 

Experts from around Uruguay in the dairy field shared ideas on how to promote Uruguay’s industry in the global market, with an emphasis on the U.S., during the opening session of a two-day seminar (Sept. 30-Oct. 1). About 250 people from the dairy industry attended.

“The U.S. Embassy wants to support Uruguay in its endeavors to enter new markets in the U.S.,” said Political/Economic Counselor Oliver Griffith in his opening remarks. “This is not a traditional task for an embassy. Generally it’s the other way around, but due to the economic recession in Uruguay, we’re doing our best to help strengthen the Uruguayan economy with seminars and activities similar to this one.”

During the course of the day 60-70 people attended the seminar, “Understanding the U.S. Dairy Market: Challenges and Opportunities,” held at LATU Tuesday (Sept. 30). The seminar continues Wednesday (Oct. 1) at Teatro Maccio in San Jose, focusing on “U.S. Niches Markets for Specialty and Artesanal Cheeses.” The event was organized by the U.S. Embassy and sponsored by the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, the municipalities of San Jose and Colonia and LATU.

Griffith said Uruguayan exports of dairy products to the US have been increasing in the past few years and “the US market is becoming more important for Uruguayan dairy producers.”

Dr. Recaredo Ugarte, Uruguay’s director of livestock services, added, “We rarely get to attend activities where a country such as the United States explains its work, the different regulations pertaining to production, sanitation and trade aspects of the industry. So we have the opportunity to pick up a niche, an opening in the world. We know these spaces exist, but we need to be prepared to fill them.”

During a panel discussion, Dr. Theresa Boyle, head of the APHIS office of the U.S. Embassy, pointed out that dairy producers can find information, including proposed and finalized U.S. regulations on dairy production, on the Internet. Boyle noted there are thousands of regulations, specific to each dairy product.

Gabriel Pascual, of Pascual Dairy, Inc. (Leche Pascual, Spain), discussed his success story in collaborating with the Florida dairy industry to introduce long-life yogurt products and Smoothies (milk-fruit juice drinks) to the U.S. Pascual said his Spain-based company worked for nearly a year with Florida and U.S. regulators to achieve the U.S. “Grade A” status for dairy production.

“You don’t have to have a big farm to be good. Small farms can identify a good niche market,” Pascual said, noting that the farms he deals with range from 15 to 1,500 cows. He said Grade A status goes beyond the equipment and production processes required at his plants, but is a philosophy adopted by his company.

“From talking to people in this country, I get the feeling that Uruguay can easily have the Grade A philosophy,” Pascual added.

Also speaking at Tuesday’s seminar were Jorge Castro, director of the dairy section of LATU, Dr. Manrique Laborde, director, and Dr. Monica Larrechart, technical specialist of the Milk Plant Inspection Division of MGAP, Kari Rojas, agricultural attaché of the U.S. Embassy, Buenos Aires, David Juday, senior analyst, World Perspectives, Inc., Washington DC.

During the afternoon session Dr. Peggy Tomasula, Agricultural Research Services of USDA, and Dr. Paul Savello, special advisor to MGAP, discussed the niche markets the Uruguayan dairy industry could fill in the U.S., especially in the specialty and artesanal cheeses that are becoming increasingly popular in the U.S.

“Dairy producers think they’re too small to enter the U.S. market. But you don’t have to put your product in every state,” Savello explained. “If you’re making Gouda or Danbo cheeses, you want to find a state that has a high Danish-American population. That’s where the product will sell.”

The second day of the seminar focused more on the growing specialty and artesanal cheese industry and those market niches that can be found in the U.S. About 175 people attended the second day conference, held in Teatro Maccio in San Jose. The "Grupo de los 30," a group of cheesemakers from San Jose and Colonia, presented their products for the guest speakers and other industry representatives to taste.

Also speaking during the conference were were Rodrigo Brenes, senior project officer at Land O’Lakes, Minnesota, and Marcelo Paglia, economic specialist from the U.S. Embassy. Rabbi Eliezer Shemtov and Rabbi Yosef Feigelstock spoke about the demand for kosher products in the U.S. and certification requirements for kosher products.

Useful links:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: http://www.dfsan.fda.gov
U.S. APHIS: http://www.access.gpo.gov

Download PowerPoint presentations:
Dave Juday Mvd Sept.30.ppt
David Juday SJ Oct. 1.ppt
El Mercado Kosher.oct.1.ppt
Kari Rojas presentation mvd sept.30.ppt
Manrique Laborde mvd sept.30.ppt
Manrique Laborde SJ Oct.1.ppt
Paul Savello Mvd Sept. 30.ppt
Paul Savello SJ Oct.1.ppt
PaulSavello Mvd Sept.30 SJ Oct.1.ppt
Peggy Tomasula presentation Mvd sept.30.ppt
Rodrigo Brenes Mvd Sept.30.ppt
Theresa Boyle APHIS Mvd Sept.30.ppt