The drastic decrease in the number of livestock has generated a significant increase in imports of cattle in order to satisfy the demand for beef.
Information from the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (Procomer), reveals that in 2012, Costa Rica imported 11 times more live cattle than in 2011.
Erick Quirós, senior director of regional operations at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), said that this drop in the number cattle is a consequence of the crisis of 2009 and the impact of climate change.
Sanitary certification of slaughterhouses in Panama could take three years, therefor Panamanian farmers are planning to export beef to the United States via Costa Rica.
Senior U.S. government officials have warned the livestock sector of Panama that obtaining medical records and certificates of origin which are required in order to be able to export to their country, could take at least three years.
After two decades of steady reductions in the area devoted to the production of meat and milk, 2011 showed a rise in exports.
Many ranches have become littered with pineapple plantations, which offer better profit margins, and in this way, of the 2.4 million hectares occupied in 1988, the business now occupies about 1 million hectares, which has been adjusted according to final data from the National Livestock Survey in progress.
Beef cattle is mainly marketed in 17 auctions in which around one million head per year are sold.
Data from the National Animal Health Service (SENASA), indicates that almost 80% of all the cattle sold in Costa Rica is done so via livestock auctions, while the remaining 20% goes directly to packing plants.
The country currently has 17 livestock auctions, which sell between 15,000 and 20,000 cattle a week.
Farmers in Costa Rica argue that changing the property tax to one based on a sliding scale would be confiscatory.
A statement from the Legislature reads:
Representatives of national farmers argue that changing the property tax to a system based on a sliding scale, would be confiscatory for many of them.
This is how Leonardo Luconi, President of the Livestock Development Corporation (CORFOGA) described the issue to lawmakers of the Standing Committee on Agricultural Affairs.
A national survey is to establish the current herd numbers around the country, recording sex and age, and other data.
Costa Rica has about 51,158 cattle farms, but there is only up to date information on some 20,680 farms (only 40%), according to the National Animal Health Service (SENASA).
In order to improve policies related to the livestock sector, it is necessary to update the data, said Leonardo Luconi, president of the Livestock Development Corporation (CORFOGA).
The herd consists of 648,929 females producing milk and meat, according to a report by the National Animal Health Service.
Costa Rica closed 2011 with a herd made up of 648,929 females producing milk and meat and a total of 16,125 farms, of which 6,692 are listed as specializing in dairy products and as 9,433 as dual purpose, reported Elfinancierocr.com.
Lack of livestock traceability is preventing access of meat to the European market, for which there is a quota of 9,000 tons.
The biggest challenge facing the region is to meet the health, environmental and competitiveness standards demanded by those markets, said Alexander Acosta, from the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
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