Onion producers in the Highlands of Boquete and other areas of the province of Chiriquí are waiting for the order of the Executive Branch through the Agricultural Market Institute (IMA) for the payment of 30,000 quintals of onion that were sold months ago .
”More than concerned, we are upset by the number of lies that have been spread around the process of buying onions. I particularly think that we are at the same point, there was no talk of clarity of date and the producers are still waiting,” emphasized Virgilio Saldaña, spokesman for the Highlands onion producers.
He added that there is dissatisfaction due to the lack of interest of certain officials who left this particular issue aside. According to the producers, the amount owed exceeds 1.2 million dollars.
On the other hand, Augusto Reyes Jiménez, second spokesman for the producers, stressed that they are in a state of alert.
“We do not want to be pessimistic, we are in a very complicated situation to produce, and those 30,000 quintals were given to the national market without problems. Today we would have the much-needed liquidity for the 2022-2023 planting,” he declared.
It was reported that this Monday they would also be carrying out protest activities in productive areas of the province.
Writing by Nancy Pretto
