A team from the government sector, led by the Minister of Agricultural Development, Augusto Valderrama, and the Minister for Agricultural Affairs, Carlos Salcedo, attended a group of pork producers, to take immediate actions to continue supporting this sector, which has been affected due to the increase in inputs and imports.
The Minister of Valderrama, in his speech, highlighted the effort being made by the Panamanian pig sector and asked that national production be defended, which generates jobs and social stability in the country.
The head of the agricultural portfolio said that he agrees with the imports, but that they be done in an orderly manner and complying with all the established processes, since otherwise, it becomes unfair competition against the quality of pork producers and national production.
Salcedo, for his part, referred to the State Agri-Food Policy Law, as a tool to defend the pig sector and national production. In addition, he highlighted the benefits of this law to help producers in the short term.
Also present at the meeting was Carlo Rognoni, director of the Agricultural Marketing Institute, who announced the purchase of pigs for the Panama Solidarity Program and for Solidarity Christmas in order to continue strengthening the pork agri-food chain.
On behalf of the pig sector, Carlos Pitty presented the concerns and needs to the authorities of the government sector. In addition, he requested that the customs and health processes on the issue of imports of this protein to the Panamanian market be reviewed.
Government authorities proposed alternatives to immediately review these processes in imports.
Producers also raised the high production cost they face due to the rise in inputs and fertilizers, which has been registered due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The meeting was also attended by the Vice Minister of MIDA, Alexis Pineda; Pablo Worrel and Sheila Hernández, from Customs; Cecilio Ricord, from the Agricultural Development Bank; Frank Rodriguez, Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Roy Frías, Technical Secretary of MIDA; Erya Villarreal, General Secretary of MIDA; representatives of Anapor, Aprocerpa and Coopagno, among others.
