I knew things were changing here when I went to buy a back strap of filet  which used to cost $4.5 a pound when I got here.  It is now $7.5 and it is due to a shortage of beef.  Our cattle used to sell for $0.35 cents to $0.45 per pound live weight and it now at $1.00!

The Panamanian government has allowed the import of boneless beef and Uruguayan dairy products.

Panamanians consume about 82 000 tonnes of meat.

From a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay:

Within the framework of the Fourth Meeting of the Political Consultation Mechanism between Uruguay and Panama, The Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Amb. José Luis Cancela, referred to the market opening in the Central American country to the entry of Uruguayan meat and dairy products.

In February 2015, the Scientific and Technical Council of the Authority for Food Safety of Panama (AUSPA) approved the country’s health eligibility for the export of beef from Uruguay, issuing the relevant resolutions on April 21 .