Due to the El Nino Phenomenon, 9,865 Cattle Died in Two Months in Colombia
In Colombia, people have been talking about the occurrence of the El Nino phenomenon in 2026 for several months, and it seems that one of its first and serious impacts is being felt by the country’s cattle ranchers. Despite the damage that the natural phenomenon has been causing, the productive sector warns that there is still time to prepare for the worst.
Figures prepared based on the work of the Planning and Economic Studies Office of the Colombian Federation of Cattle Ranchers (FEDEGAN) are alarming. Between June 1 and August 1, El Nino left 9,865 animals dead, more than 333,000 cattle and buffaloes had to be relocated, and more than two million hectares were affected in 15 departments.
Million-dollar losses due to El Nino phenomenon
The costs are also significant. During the same period, cattle ranchers suffered losses of 47 billion pesos (US$15 million). The greatest economic losses correspond to the death of animals, with 27 billion pesos (US$8.8 million).
Another 11 billion pesos (US$3.6 million) correspond to the decrease in the production of meat, milk and dairy products, and the remaining 9 billion pesos (US$2.9 million) are associated with costs related to the relocation of the animals.
However, FEDEGAN is not letting its guard down, and recommends that cattle ranchers store water, prepare and preserve forage, and strategically manage pastures. “A prepared cattle rancher is worth two. And we can still take measures to reduce the impact of what is coming. Cattle rancher, do not wait for the drought to reach its most critical point. Prepare water, food and your property from now,” the association says.
Most affected cattle-raising areas in Colombia
One of the areas where the intense summer caused by the El Nino phenomenon has hit cattle ranchers hardest is the Caribbean region. Together, the departments of Cesar, La Guajira, Bolivar, Sucre, Atlantico and Magdalena report 8,508 dead animals, 127,648 relocated and 975,844 affected hectares.
The most critical cases are concentrated in Cesar, with 2,376 dead animals; La Guajira, with 2,206; Sucre, with 1,638; and Magdalena, with 1,359.
“El Nino has hit us very hard: thousands of families and cattle-raising businesses are affected in 15 departments,” said Jose Felix Lafaurie Rivera, executive president of FEDEGAN, referring to the impact of the phenomenon on the activity.
Unlike the Caribbean region, in the Eastern Plains the situation has been marked by heavy rains and flooding. The departments of Meta, Arauca and Casanare together report 193,523 relocated animals, 96 deaths and 242,143 affected hectares.
Casanare has the highest number of relocated animals, with 167,011 cattle and buffaloes, while the areas affected by water reach 216,374 hectares. In Arauca, producers had to relocate 24,702 animals and reported 17,767 affected hectares. In Meta, the balance amounts to 96 dead animals, 1,810 relocated and 8,002 affected hectares.
In the Andean region, the departments of Boyaca, Santander, Norte de Santander, Huila and Tolima report 858 dead animals, 12,057 relocated and 478,314 affected hectares. Meanwhile, Caqueta, in the Amazon region, reports 403 dead animals and 502,316 affected hectares, according to FEDEGAN’s assessment.
In total, the figures show that the impacts of the climate phenomenon have spread across different regions of the country and have affected both producers and the availability of land for the development of cattle-raising activity.
For FEDEGAN, the losses caused by El Nino add to other events that have affected producers during the year, including floods and other extreme weather phenomena. “This year Colombian cattle ranchers have had to face difficult and almost impossible-to-control situations due to floods, extreme summer and the earthquake in the western part of the country,” Lafaurie said.
The association warns that the impact is not limited to the death of animals. The loss of pastures, difficulties in feeding and moving cattle, and the reduction in meat and milk production are also generating additional costs for producers.