Impacto del COVID-19 en la Producción y Consumo de Leche en el Ecuador

The perceptions of people involved in milk production and consumption in Ecuador during the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed to provide information on the pandemic's impact on this issue. The study was conducted at the Amazon State University of Ecuador through descriptive quantitative research with a non-experimental design. Data were obtained through surveys targeting two groups of stakeholders: milk producers (51 participants) and consumers (271 participants). The data were subjected to an exploratory descriptive analysis with frequency tables using empirical methods. A normality test was applied, and the correlation of variables was analyzed using the Pearson test using IBM's SPSS statistical program. Greater female participation was evident in the consumer sector, while there is a greater male contribution in the productive sector. Other results indicate that producers require more training to carry out this activity, and the price of milk as a raw material varies greatly. According to 77.6% of the producers surveyed, dairy production was negatively impacted by the restrictions imposed during the pandemic.