The Conaprole scandal returned to the forefront of public debate following the immediate closure of Plant 14 in Rivera and reports of milking losses that raised alarm among producers and workers.
While the Association of Conaprole Workers and Employees (AOEC) held a general assembly in Rivera to analyze the situation, the president of the National Association of Milk Producers (ANPL), Álvaro Quintans, reported the loss of milking of some 60 cows on Thursday morning.
Viral videos and reports of losses
In recent hours, videos have circulated on social media showing milk overflows at dairy farms in the Cardona area of Soriano. According to Quintans, the images show producers affected by harvest delays, although he declined to identify those affected during his press conference.
In any case, the situation sparked an internal debate: the union argued that the union measures related to the plant closure were suspended at the request of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS). For the producers, however, the delays in milk delivery to the plant worsened, forcing them to hire public notaries to certify the loss of raw materials.
The early closure of the 14th floor
The closure of operations in Rivera was scheduled for October 31. However, the company announced its immediate and definitive closure . Quintans believes the decision was due to a lack of negotiation, which led to the closure before the original date.
Impact on the market and consumers
The president of the ANPL also warned about the increase in dairy imports in recent days, a fact he described as "the saddest" aspect of the current situation. He explained that shortages of fresh milk, yogurt, and desserts are already being noticed on supermarket shelves and in warehouses across the country.
"We are facing massive shortages of basic products that directly affect consumers," Quintans said, also expressing concern about the loss of confidence in the domestic market and the national production value chain.
A crisis that has just begun
The scandal at Conaprole is not limited to a union dispute or a simple plant closure: it puts the sustainability of the dairy sector in Uruguay at stake. The confrontation between the cooperative, workers, and producers reflects long-standing tensions that appear to be intensifying today in a context of economic uncertainty.
As if that weren't enough, images of spilled milk spread across the country and became a symbol of the lack of dialogue. For dairy farmers, it's not just a matter of lost liters, but the fruits of their labor and capital that is difficult to recover.
