Faced with the apparent crisis faced by the panel sector in Colombia due to products such as paneled distributed by Quala SA and Aguapanela La Nuestra de Postobón, Dignidad Panelera, a union in the sector, called for a strike.
(See: Exports from the agricultural sector grew 33% by May 2022).
However, the mobilization has not been carried out while waiting for a meeting to be held by spokesmen of the movement with the Department of agriculture in the municipality of Santana, Boyacá.
For the Executive Director of Dignidad Agropecuaria, Óscar Guitiérrez, “the mobilization is given by Panelista and Panelada from Quala and Aguapanela La Nuestra from Postobón, and the deception of the consumer, since none of the drinks are panela, much less the one that is powdered”.
(See: Cecilia López warns that they will carry out agrarian reform in the Petro government).
In his opinion, the process of making panela carries out a series of rules and resolutions conferred by the country to determine the product as such, “It is true that panela is extracted in the mills or honey centers of the cane process and in the middle of that process, it is clear that what these companies are doing has nothing to do with panela.”.
According to Nixon Mora, Vice President of Dignidad Panelera, a second issue for which the strike was called was the drop in prices and consumption of panela.
“National consumption has fallen by a third of what we had been presenting and compared to cultivation, before grinding cane was sold for $12 million per week and now we are selling it for $8 million“, said.
(See: What is known about the panelero strike in Colombia).
For its part, Fedepanela affirmed that they have no participation in the strike and that they endorse the use of panela in products that comply with legal regulations.
DIANA K. RODRIGUEZ T.
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