Ecuador's meat production faces new risk from El Niño

Ecuador's cattle farmers are bracing for the impact of the El Niño phenomenon, fearing significant losses to their herds and national meat production. The country's livestock sector, which boasted 3.2 million head in 2025, is particularly vulnerable to the extreme weather patterns El Niño is expected to bring.

Coastal regions, home to 1.25 million cattle, face the highest risk of flooding. Provinces like Manabí, Guayas, Los Ríos, El Oro, Esmeraldas, and Santo Domingo are identified as susceptible to prolonged inundation and pasture loss. Farmers in Esmeraldas and Manabí, key meat-producing areas, worry about their animals being submerged, leading to reduced weight gain and increased mortality from diseases like pneumonia and diarrhea in calves.

"El Niño could intensify the problem," said David Pacheco, president of the Esmeraldas Cattle Ranchers Association. "Excess water causes pasture scarcity, the main food for livestock, but also sickens newborn calves with diarrhea and pneumonia. Animals can also die."

Farmers are already observing unusual weather patterns, with unseasonably heavy rains in early July. While these rains are beneficial for some areas, they also cause stress to livestock. Urbano Vera, a cattle rancher from El Carmen, described how animals become agitated in muddy conditions, leading to hoof problems and reduced fattening, directly impacting their marketability. Iván Montalvo, president of the Manabí Cattle Ranchers Corporation, added that animals can slip and injure themselves, resulting in economic losses.

The potential disruption to meat production comes at a time when the sector is already concerned about herd size. Previous reports indicated a potential reduction to less than 1 million animals. The looming threat of El Niño adds another layer of uncertainty for Ecuador's vital agricultural industry.

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Les afecta tanto que no engordan y eso es un perjuicio, porque no se pueden vender.