To permanently monitor the problem of increasing agricultural inputs and guarantee the production of rice in the country, the recently formed high-level commission met on Wednesday, with the participation of producers, millers, input distributors, state banks and government institutions. sector, led by the Minister of Agricultural Development, Augusto Valderrama, in Santiago de Veraguas.
Valderrama said that as part of the responses provided at this meeting, the arrival of ships with fertilizers was announced starting next week and purchases with importing houses are being guaranteed, which guarantees supply and also another that speeds up expedites the purchase of other items of the agricultural sector such as fungicides, insecticides and chemical products.
The minister stressed that the season for preparing the soil and planting rice is advancing and that there are some 500 more hectares compared to this same date last year, which reflects that despite the pandemic and supply problems there is a motivation from the producers.
Regarding the issue of credit by commercial houses, he emphasized that he will meet with representatives of the National Bank of Panama, the Savings Bank and the National Association of Input Distributors (ANDIA), so that together with the government they seek formulas to accelerate this process of credit support to producers and to be able to guarantee the process of planting rice for this year.
Regarding the price compensation payments, it was said that more than 60 million balboas have been paid out of the 80 million contemplated for this year, that every effort has been made, there is the support of President Cortizo Cohen and in the assembly the resources have been approved to finish canceling. He announced that for next year there will be 150 million balboas that are already allocated in the 2023 budget, because they know that rice is of fundamental importance in Panamanian food.
The Executive Secretary of the National Association of Input Distributors (ANDIA), Lucas Sánchez, received from Minister Valderrama the Decrees signed by President Cortizo Cohen and published in the Official Gazette, where he took the opportunity to thank the minister and the entire team of workers by these decrees that seek to streamline the necessary procedures for importing fertilizers and agrochemicals.
Sánchez reiterated his thanks to Minister Valderrama and Deputy Minister Carlo Rognoni for all that effort and assured that they have enough fertilizers in inventory and in transit to cover the needs of the first coa of rice, since they are going to guarantee that producers can plant and not stay without the supplies they require. He explained that the abbreviated registration process system was an initiative of the government and consists of seeking a mechanism that allows reducing the procedures that must be followed for the importation of fertilizers and agrochemicals because there are different regulations that govern the importation of these inputs.
The Director of Agriculture of the MIDA, Reinaldo Solís, presented a sowing report where he indicated that as of May 13 there was an advance of soil preparation of 18,822 hectares with 254 producers and 9,028.7 hectares had been planted with 207 producers.
Archer Melamed, president of the Veraguas Rice Producers Committee, said that they want to continue planting and that they currently have a problem with the commercial houses that are asking for more requirements than normal, to which the minister promised to seek alternatives to help them continue to produce rice. Melamed valued the constant communication that is carried out looking for a solution at the dialogue table, which motivates them to continue producing for the country and now more than ever is needed due to the global problem that is taking place.
Meanwhile, Vidal Aguilera from the Association of Rice and Basic Grain Producers of Veraguas (APAVE) stated that this meeting was very positive because information and strategies were given in the search for financing to producers in relation to the issue of fertilizers and it was said that Planting progress is going at a good pace despite the limitations. He highlighted that despite the pandemic and the crisis due to the war last year they planted some 90 thousand hectares and have not had to import the grain.
Also participating in this meeting were the General Secretary of MIDA, Erya Villarreal, the Technical Secretary, Roy Frías, the General Director of IMA, Carlos Motta, the General Manager of BDA, Cecilio Ricord, the Director of ISA, Luis Carlos Díaz, among others. .
