San Fernando Rural Dairy Plant

San Fernando New Lac is the name of one of the oldest cheese and quesillo factories in the canton of the same name, province of Azuay. It is a family enterprise that has belonged to the Gavilanes family for three generations. The current manager is Diego Gavilánez Pacheco.

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Fábrica San Fernando produced hundreds of units per day. Every day of the year. Each one uses 3.2 liters of milk. The work begins very early, with the collection of milk from the farms. The pasteurization process eliminates all types of bacteria or pathogenic organisms. The milk is heated in vats, by means of vaporization, to 70 degrees centigrade. It is then cooled. Curdling is done at 37 degrees. From there to the moulds, pressing and drying.

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The fresh cheese, the mozzarella cheese and the ricotta or quesillo are ready. They are distributed to the main cities in the country, such as Cuenca and Guayaquil. Lácteos San Fernando, by appointment, receives groups of tourists for tastings.

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In the 1960s, eight cheese producers were trained in Quito to improve quality, implement new technologies and modernize production. They were the seeds of a new era in cheese making. Today, some 25 factories operate in the canton.

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Cheese production in the San Fernando canton is sustained by the milk productivity of its livestock. Other attractions of the town are the Busa lagoon, the San Pablo hill and its church.