Milk Production Reaches One Million Litres Daily
January was a record month for the Cooperativa de Productores de Leche Dos Pinos when, according to company reports, daily production reached one million litres of milk.

Costa Ricans are known for drinking lots of milk and producers like Dos Pinos has has to double its production capacity to meet the demand.

Dos Pinos does not only produce milk for national consumption, but also for export to other Central American countries, that, in addition to liquid milk, also includes powdered milk and milk derivates.

Last month's production level is the highest ever recorded in the company's sixty year history. The company says that better production methods, in infrastructure at the farms, the health of the cattle and their procedures for collection and quality control has all led to the high production levels.

In the report, the company says that if an animal is sick during the production season, it is immediately separated from the others and the milk product is eliminated.

Costa Rica is third in Latin America in the per capita consumption of milk. Each Costa Rican consumes on average 200 litres of milk per year, placing it in the top list of milk drinkers in the continent.

For Dos Pinos that is good news when it comes to coporate performance. Exportation to Central America (especially Guatemala) has meant a surplus and is reflected in dividends paid to shareholders, which has been averaging some us$22 million dollars a year.

The milk industry in Costa Rica employs some 4.000 people directly and another 50.000 indirectly.

Dos Pinos, in addition to having the best product, says its success is also due to its unique presentations for its milk, ice cream, cheese, yogurt and butter products, which convey security, nutrition and taste to consumers.