Azuay Milk Collection Centers Get Antibiotic Test Kits: What It Means for Small Dairy Farmers

What happened

The Prefectura del Azuay has implemented a system to detect antibiotic residues in raw milk, according to provincial officials. The aim, as described, is to tighten quality controls, protect consumers and reduce economic losses for small dairy farmers.

The equipment is a detection kit that includes an incubator and reactive strips for running the tests.

Who received the first kits

Eduardo Sánchez, director of Fomento de la Producción at the Gobierno Provincial del Azuay, said the first beneficiaries were 15 producer organizations that operate community collection centers. Together, those centers receive roughly 22,880 liters of milk per day from about 300 small producers.

The organizations are spread across eight cantons: four in Sevilla de Oro, three in Sígsig, two in Gualaceo, two in Pucará, and one each in El Pan, Nabón, Oña and Santa Isabel.

Why it matters at the tank level

According to the information provided, a single liter of contaminated milk can compromise up to 3,000 liters stored in a community tank. That is the practical reason testing at the collection point matters: one problem batch can affect a whole shared tank.

Two producers described the change. Antonio Coronel, president of the Asociación Agropecuaria Morasloma de Oña (Asoproagromor), said the system was needed because of problems with milk arriving with antibiotic residues. Mario Matute, operator of the Asociación de Producción Agropecuaria San Marcos de Paguancay de El Pan (Asoproasamapa), said the group previously recorded milk losses due to antibiotics. He noted that the 160 producers linked to that collection center, who supply about 2,300 liters daily, now have a tool that helps prevent economic losses.

Cost and next phase

The Prefectura reported investing approximately USD 36,453 in acquiring the equipment. Each unit, with complementary supplies, has a reference value of USD 2,430.

Sánchez said a second delivery is planned for 2027, following a procedure similar to the first phase, to broaden coverage.

Practical questions for collection centers

• Does your center have a written protocol for what happens when a test is positive?
• Who is trained to run the incubator and interpret the strips?
• How are results logged so a producer can trace a problem back to a specific delivery?

Analysis: The program's value depends less on the hardware than on consistent use and clear handling rules at each collection point. The figures above come from provincial officials and were not independently verified.

Sources: elmercurio.com.ec.

Image: existing site image, illustrative.