Doña Mery Dairy Products (Productos Lácteos Doña Mery), a family-owned business in El Ejido, Los Santos, is turning a multigenerational recipe for natural cheeses and yogurts into a growing agribusiness, after winning second place in Los Santos province at the Azuero stage of the “Made in Panama” agro-industrial competition organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI). Its story also shows the productive potential of the Azuero Peninsula.
A family-owned business in Los Santos is turning a multigenerational tradition into an operation with greater production capacity and national growth potential.
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Key Facts: Doña Mery Dairy Products
- Company: Productos Lácteos Doña Mery (Doña Mery Dairy Products)
- Origin: a family tradition from Santa Ana, La Villa de Los Santos
- Current location: El Ejido, Los Santos province, on the Azuero Peninsula
- Products: cheeses and yogurts made with traditional, natural methods
- Recognition: 2nd place in Los Santos province at the Azuero stage of the Hecho en Panamá (“Made in Panama”) agro-industrial competition, held at the Azuero International Fair
- Organizer: Ministry of Commerce and Industries of Panama (MICI)
- Formalization: legally registered through the Panamá Emprende platform
- Next goal: more production capacity and new markets without losing its artisanal process
| Los Santos result | Company | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st place | Productos Lácteos Deliciosos | B/.2,000 |
| 2nd place | Productos Lácteos Doña Mery | B/.1,250 |
| 3rd place | Productos Lácteos de Cabra | B/.750 |
Doña Mery Dairy Products: From a Family Recipe to an Agribusiness
A family tradition that began in Santa Ana, La Villa de Los Santos, is now taking its next step.
Doña Mery Dairy Products, currently located in El Ejido, Los Santos, continues producing its cheeses and yogurts using traditional, natural methods while seeking to increase production capacity and reach new markets.
The company earned second place at the provincial level in the Azuero edition of the “Made in Panama” agribusiness competition, organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Industries.
The Next Step: Growing Without Losing Its Identity
The recognition represents a boost for a company seeking to combine tradition with growth.
Its next challenge is to turn this recognition into greater production capacity and new commercial opportunities while maintaining the processes that are part of the brand’s identity.
Institutional support began with the company’s formalization through Panama Emprende and later expanded to promotional activities and commercial showcases.
Agribusiness as a Regional Growth Engine
Stories like that of Doña Mery Dairy Products demonstrate that industrialization does not necessarily have to be driven exclusively by large corporations.
It can also begin with small and medium-sized businesses that transform agricultural products, create jobs, and develop new value chains throughout Panama’s provinces.
In this case, the growth of a dairy company can benefit not only the brand itself, but also producers, suppliers, transportation companies, packaging providers, distributors, and other services connected to the supply chain. Public projects such as the new water plant in Chitré also strengthen the base that Azuero needs to grow.
More Production, More Opportunities
Strengthening agribusiness companies can help diversify provincial economies and create new opportunities beyond the country’s major urban centers. You can follow this trend in our Central Provinces investment coverage.
For these businesses to grow, they also require production facilities, storage, refrigeration, transportation, distribution, and efficient access to markets. These are the same factors that determine the value of agro-industrial land in Herrera and Veraguas.
The story of Doña Mery therefore represents something broader than a business success story: it reflects the potential to transform local products and knowledge into economic activities with greater scale and reach.
From Los Santos, a family tradition is beginning to become a commitment to agribusiness and to greater production capacity in Panama. If you are evaluating opportunities in the region, Liseika González offers real estate advisory in Panama.
Frequently Asked Questions about Doña Mery Dairy Products
What is Doña Mery Dairy Products?
Doña Mery Dairy Products (Productos Lácteos Doña Mery) is a family-owned company in El Ejido, Los Santos, Panama, that produces cheeses and yogurts using traditional, natural methods. Its recipes come from a family tradition that began in Santa Ana, La Villa de Los Santos.
What award did Doña Mery Dairy Products win?
The company won second place in Los Santos province at the Azuero stage of the “Made in Panama” agro-industrial competition, organized by Panama’s Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) during the Azuero International Fair. Second-place winners received B/.1,250.
How has MICI supported Doña Mery Dairy Products?
Support began with the company’s formalization through the Panamá Emprende registration platform and later expanded to commercial showcases and business promotion activities.
What is the “Hecho en Panamá” competition?
“Hecho en Panamá” is the Spanish name of the “Made in Panama” agro-industrial competition. It recognizes Panamanian companies and entrepreneurs that transform and sell national products, with regional stages such as the one held in Azuero for Herrera and Los Santos.
Why does agribusiness growth in Los Santos matter for real estate investors?
Growing agribusiness companies need production facilities, storage, refrigeration, transportation, and access to markets. That creates demand for industrial and agro-industrial land, warehouses, and well-connected properties in provinces like Los Santos and the rest of the Azuero Peninsula.
Sources and Further Reading
- MICI – Doña Mery Dairy Products: from a family tradition in Los Santos to agribusiness
- MICI – “Hecho en Panamá” agro-industrial competition chooses its Azuero representatives
- Telemetro – MICI meets with the winners of the “Hecho en Panamá” competition
- Ministry of Commerce and Industries of Panama (MICI) – Official website
Update (October 2026): Los Santos was among the provinces hit by the Panama earthquake of October 9, 2026.
