Herrera Province
Herrera's Azuero heartland concentrates cattle ranching and corn production while facing degraded soils and water stress from the worst drought in 70 years.
Herrera occupies the Azuero Peninsula's heart, the cattle ranching and sugar production that define Panama's agricultural identity concentrated in this relatively small province. Los Santos to the south and Veraguas to the west share the peninsula's character, but Herrera—entirely on the Azuero—represents the cultural traditions that make this region Panama's folkloric heartland.
The Santa María River watershed that Herrera shares with Coclé and Veraguas faces degraded soils and water supply problems that the 2023-2024 drought intensified. Extensive livestock farming creates environmental pressures that sustainable agriculture initiatives attempt to address, silvopastoral systems offering alternatives that maintain productivity while restoring ecosystem functions.
Corn production concentrates in Herrera alongside Chiriquí and Los Santos, the grain cultivation that food security requires complementing the livestock that generates greater income. Whether Herrera can transition toward sustainable practices—or whether conventional ranching continues the land degradation that threatens long-term productivity—tests whether tradition enables or constrains adaptation.