PIL dairy plant in El Alto, Bolivia cuts production to 25% after road blockades

Road blockades and social conflicts in May stopped raw milk deliveries to PIL’s El Alto dairy plant for more than 23 days. The plant operated only eight days in May, producing just 25% of its planned 3,200 tons of dairy products. The interruption caused economic losses estimated at over Bs 16 million, as fixed costs were spread over a much smaller output, raising per‑ton costs nearly fourfold.

PIL mitigated the shortfall by supplying product from its Santa Cruz and Cochabamba facilities, but continued transport disruptions between departments prevented full compensation for the reduced output in La Paz, affecting the broader food‑production and distribution chain.