Expected impacts from construction of Road PR-22 on the cattle and dairy farms of Puerto Rico
Abstract
The dairy industry is the most important economic sector of Puerto Rico’s Agriculture.
Statistics indicate that during the 2010-2011 fiscal year it had a gross income of
$235.1 MM, corresponding to a total of 29.8% of the total agriculture market. It
employees some 25,000 people and supports other businesses such as cheese, hay sale
and meat production. The industry is upheld by the dairy cattle ranchers, many of
which are family-owned businesses.
A threat to the industry was declared by the Departamento de Transportación y Obras
Públicas (DTOP) when in 2010 it re-issued its intent to construct a road through areas
on the northwest of the island. These areas are known for being the island’s top
milk-producers.
The objective of this Masters Project was to identify the expected impacts the road
construction can have on the dairy cattle industry. This objective is pursued by
understanding the current state of the industry, review DTOP’s stated need for construction,
evaluate direct and indirect impacts to the industry, and review interviews to stakeholders
provided by “Transecto Socio-Ecologico del Karso Norteño”.
The result of the research leads to an industry whose production volumes, pasture
areas, and amount of farms are already in decline. Stakeholders interviewed by Transecto
foresee an industry weakened by parcel segregation that would make them impracticable
for cattle grazing. As a result many milking facilities and ranches may have to close.
For an industry in decline and with many operational complications, this project will
likely have a big impact and may push it to the verge of collapse.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/8565Citation
Guzmán, Mildred M.; & Guzman, Mildred (2014). Expected impacts from construction of Road PR-22 on the cattle and dairy farms of
Puerto Rico. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/8565.Collections
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