The payment of 4.4 million balboas before July 15 to the corn sector, a fuel bonus of 400 balboas for agricultural machinery, technical support and the extension of the Panama Solidario program until December 31, 2022, were some of the announcements made at a meeting between the Minister of Agricultural Development, Augusto Valderrama, and producers from Santeño, at the Mida regional headquarters in Los Santos.
Valderrama was satisfied with the results and the development of the meeting, in which he was accompanied by his work team; the governor of Los Santos, Rafael Villarreal; the advisor for Agricultural Affairs of the Presidency, Mario Domínguez and the deputies Eric Broce and Olivares Frías, among other authorities.
The head of the Mida portfolio highlighted the importance of continuing to strengthen the different agricultural sectors to guarantee the country’s food security, as one of the main objectives of the government of President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen to boost the economy.
In the meeting with the producers, reports on file payments were submitted, compensation, storage, cooperative benefits were discussed, and Minister Valderrama announced that, on the instructions of President Cortizo Cohen, the Panama Solidario program will be extended until December 31, 2022.
Oriana Tack, from the Office of Incentives and Trust, and Reinaldo Solís, from the National Directorate of Agriculture, were in charge of giving details about the payments of corn files and Law 107 of grains.
Tack announced that he has received 4.4 million balboas from corn files, which will be paid before July 15. He added that this week is in process in the administrative area, 1.7 million balboas, of which 1.1 million correspond to the province of Los Santos.
The minister asked Mida officials to speed up payments and help producers fill out the files, as a facilitating entity for the development of the agricultural sector and its production.
Solís gave a general report on Law 107 on grains. He reported that from 2019 to 2022 they have paid approximately 21 million balboas, of which 12 million balboas have been for 1,470 producers in the province of Los Santos, divided into rice, corn, industrial tomato, onion and sorghum, among others. It was requested to make a compilation of the pending information, to unify a single amount at the national level.
In addition, the point of the increase in inputs and fertilizers was touched. Minister Valderrama clarified that this is a global problem that affects all countries, but that in Panama an effort was made to bring it and thus ensure that it continues to occur.
The director of the Agricultural Marketing Institute, Carlos Motta, spoke about the storage of corn and its marketing, a determining factor for producers from Santeño. He pointed out that there is currently storage capacity, so he asked the producers to make requests to reserve the spaces in the silos.
During the meeting, Roy Frías, Mida’s Technical Secretary, touched on the issue of solidarity fuel and announced a monthly bonus of 400 balboas for producers who own rolling agricultural machines, tractors and harvesters. To access this benefit, producers must register the machinery with a sworn statement, along with their unique registration.
Luis Carlos Díaz, from the Agricultural Insurance Institute, presented a report on the pending payment of compensation and Cecilio Ricord, from the Agricultural Development Bank, presented an overview of credits for producers and proposed alternatives for them to obtain loans in different situations. Edwin Navarro, from IPACOOP spoke about the benefits of Cooperatives.
Valentín Domínguez, producer of corn and sorghum, was satisfied with the results of the meeting. He added that he hopes next week the authorities can continue to support them.
Dioris Moreno, from the Cooperativa Naciente la Buena Fe Familiar, explained that they are the means to reach small producers and that through this cooperative the National Government can support pig farmers. He highlighted the support for the purchase of 5,000 pigs, which will alleviate production, as well as the purchase of corn and tanks for its supply.
