Venezuelan cheese-maker: Support needed for production of white cheese

Much has been said about white cheese being a Venezuelan product, but its local production is being seen as an opportunity for the dairy-based food sector.

For this, it is necessary that fledgling producers receive financial and managerial support.

Alexander Plaza, a Venezuelan-Trinidadian who settled here 18 years ago after experiencing life in several European countries, recognised producing white cheese is an uphill challenge due to the high prices of the main raw material: milk.

The production of white cheese has been increasing in TT since the arrival of Venezuelan migrants in recent years and it has been appealing to the taste of locals.

Plaza, who is based in Tunapuna, said white cheese is produced in small quantities locally and the rest is brought from Venezuela.

“There are several Venezuelan producers who are making cheese right here. They are small producers but the quality of the cheese made here is much better,” Plaza said.

He said it is possible to increase production of Trinidadian white cheese if livestock production improves.

“It is not only planning, but management – the nutritional, reproductive (of livestock) and the investment part,” said Plaza.

He said there are new production ideas for the medium to long term, and the most difficult part would be to promote proposals to livestock farmers, or even the TT agricultural system.

“In Venezuela, it has always been cheaper to produce cheese because there are many farms producing milk and the producers have been educating and modernising (production) and that helps lower prices,” he said.

However, Plaza believes bringing ready-made cheese from Venezuela is not ideal from a health point of view, despite being cheaper.

A kilogramme of white cheese can be obtained for between $100 to $120 – the average prices for what is brought from Venezuela and what is produced here.

“We have come a long way from what is ours. People think the white cheese is Venezuelan, but no, it's made Venezuelan-style and it's Trinidadian, because it's made here. People must have that sense of belonging and promote local production."

“We have always thought what is imported is better, and this is not always the case. It may be cheaper, but not better than what is made here, and that is what we must promote, that what is made here is the best and eating it, to boost the local economy." His cheese is sold in several supermarkets and to restaurants in TT.

Plaza said he gets a litre of milk directly from farms for between $8-$9.

Plaza uses eight to ten litres of fresh milk for every kilogramme of semi-cured cheese. He uses more than 300 litres of milk per week for 15-18 kilos of cheese.

"I have several farmers in Turure, in Wallerfield and in Carlsen Field, who distribute milk to me on a weekly basis so that I can continue making cheese."

Plaza said he does it to save expense by going to the farms for milk.

“We are producing the cheese the same day we source the milk so that it is fresh for the customers,” he said.

Keeping the white-cheese business stable has been a great challenge, due to TT's dairy production capacity. He said he has lost contact with some farm owners who closed their farms due to a lack of resources.

“Dairy production is very low. At one point there was a boom, but unfortunately it did not adapt to the new technologies and the farms stopped producing, since they lost part of the opportunity to see cattle farming as a business. The farm owners do not see it as a source of profit, they do not do the corresponding analyses to improve failures and increase production,” said Plaza.

But he believes TT has favourable conditions for extensive cattle farming and dairy production both for local consumption and for export.

“Since there is little milk production, prices go up. They have also gone up in the cheese business, and that has slowed down sales on the street a bit, because the final prices end up being high,” said Plaza.

Carlos Martínez, (not his real name for protection), sells white cheese brought from Venezuela and believes it is the best economic option for this business.

“I have some friends who are producers in Venezuela who can sell me the cheese wholesale for $50 per kilogramme already made, to that I add the shipping cost and here I can offer it a little more expensive to make a profit. With that, it's already cheaper than producing it here because the litre of milk alone costs $8 or $9,” he said.

Martínez did not explain how the cheese is brought in from Venezuela, but assures it is of good quality.

“We take care of every detail and the quality of the cheese we bring is equal to producing it here and cheaper,” he said.

However, Martínez agrees with Plaza. “If milk production here improves and prices go down, cheese could be made right here at a lower price and it could be used to export to other nearby islands,” he said.

In an effort to boost milk production, Nestle in March funded to the tune of $750,000 (US$110,000) a model farm in Turure, near Sangre Grande.

Nestle selected the Amoroso family-run farm which has been supplying milk to the company since the 70s to construct the facility. Holstein-Friesian cows – which will be sourced with Nestle’s assistance – will spend part of the day grazing in an open field and the other part in pens equipped with fans and showers for the cows’ comfort.

Josue De La Maza, Nestle’s head of marketing for the Anglo-Dutch Caribbean region, said in a previous Newsday interview that Holstein-Friesian cows, which are bred in Holland, were specially selected for their genetic lineage and they will be fed a new feed varieties which includes mestizo grass, corn and other high-quality grasses. All of these will also be grown on the farm making it a self-sustaining circular system.

With this model, there is expected to be a higher milk production from fewer cows thereby reducing the dairy carbon footprint. De La Maza said this is because the cows will be stress-free which gets them to produce more.

The venture has been praised by the TT Manufacturers' Association.