Colombia truckers strike: Government warns of food shortages

Statement from the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has made a new appeal to transporters blocking roads as part of the truckers' strike, asking them to allow the urgent creation of food supply corridors.

This measure is essential to ensure the transit of essential products, perishable foods and live animals, thus avoiding a major crisis in the agricultural sector.

Minister Martha Carvajalino, who is part of the Unified Command Post (PMU) activated to monitor the situation, warned about the negative effects that the strike is already causing on the prices of basic products and on the income of farmers. The departments of Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Antioquia, Santander, Meta and Norte de Santander are the most affected by the blockades.

Among the sectors hardest hit by the strike are the dairy, poultry and pork industries. “The impact is significant, affecting not only the distribution of food, but also the income of thousands of rural producers,” said Minister Carvajalino.

PMU figures reveal the magnitude of the problem:

Fenavi reported that nearly 17 million birds are experiencing feed supply problems due to road closures.

In Cundinamarca and Boyacá, around 250,000 liters of milk could not be collected or processed, according to Colanta.

The supply of beef in Bogotá has fallen by 70%, affecting the arrival of cattle to processing plants and generating a shortage of the product in the capital.

To mitigate these effects, the Ministry of Agriculture has implemented measures, including the installation of the Unified Command Post with the participation of entities such as the ICA, the ADR and the UPRA, and has initiated a dialogue with the sector's associations to evaluate the impact on each subsector and seek immediate solutions.

Minister Carvajalino reiterated that the Ministry is working to reduce the impact of the strike on food production and supply, especially in the most affected regions, prioritizing the transit of products and seeking to normalize supply.