The Minister of Agricultural Development, Augusto Valderrama, reiterated the support of the National Government to the entire productive sector and especially to the livestock sector, during his participation in the 64th Ordinary General Assembly of the National Association of Livestock Farmers (Anagan), as part of the commemoration of the Livestock Farmer’s Day, on Sunday, August 28, 2022.
Valderrama stressed that the social peace of the country is in the agricultural sector, so it is necessary to continue providing full support to this productive sector, which during the pandemic provided food, which guaranteed tranquility to the Panamanian people. He added that Anagan has been one of the organizations that has marked the defense of the agricultural sector for many decades and that it grows stronger every day producing meat and milk for the population of this country.
The head of the agricultural sector brought a message of thanks to the producers for their contribution to the development of Panama, from the President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, a rancher who has given his best effort, his affection and passion to strengthen with a broad view of the Panamanian agricultural sector. He said that the most important thing in these three years of government has been the fulfillment of the commitments made by the president in his electoral campaign, such as returning FECI resources to the agricultural sector and eliminating the AUPSA law, which was a highway of imports, which hurt thousands of producers.
The minister of the Mida also spoke about the Law for the armoring of the agricultural sector that is under discussion in the National Assembly, which is the first time in history that it is done in Panama, with the aim of giving producers a regulatory framework to the next 20 years, which allows the stability of the sector and the investment it needs in the medium and long term.
He added that the National Government, during these three years, has recovered the confidence, strength, courage and resilience of rural people, for which they have to defend the State Agrifood Policy Law (Pade), which guarantees their profitability. to make each producer a successful entrepreneur, who earns money.
For his part, the president of Anagan, José Concepción Sánchez said that they have carried out, with the National Government, several projects that have benefited them, such as the Panama Solidarity Plan, where they delivered 6 thousand steers; They will open insemination routes to improve the country’s genetics and are about to conclude the health protocol with Mexico to bring live cattle to this country and thus improve their price.
Regarding the United States market, he pointed out that it is very good, with excellent prices and that they had been fighting for more than 30 years for the Toxic Waste Laboratory, which was one of the requirements of this country and that it was not possible until this administration that the 22 tests were carried out and now they are working on sanitary equivalence and that for this they have the support of President Cortizo Cohen.
He also spoke about the A Better Stallion Program, which offers the opportunity to small farmers to improve the genetics of their herds.
During the assembly, the “Juan Raúl Brin” medal was awarded to Ing. Manuel Castillo Melamed, governor of the province of Veraguas, for his great contributions to the union, as well as the Panama-United States Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of the Screwworm of Livestock (COPEG), was awarded the “Golden Calf” medal for the efforts made by this program for the benefit of the country’s livestock.
