Chiriqui Rice Producers Complain about Lack of Government Support

[Keith Woolford]

Chiriqui Rice Producers Complain about Lack of Government Support

The producers of Alanje, David and Baru fear that rice production will be lost by lack of government support.

The President of the Association of Rice Producers of Chiriqui (APACH), Gabriel Araúz, said they are confronting a problem for a long time by the lack of support from the government and which has worsened because of the "debts against" the facilities of the Molinos en Guarumal y la Casa del Arrocero en David by the National Bank of Panama (BNP).

He said that some producers have had to sell their lacreages to other entrepreneurs whose lands are now used for housing because rice activity was not cost effective, and they do not see any interest of the government in supporting it.

The past year has planted 17,000 hectares of rice and for this year 2016, van planted 11,000 hectares, which represents a deficit of 6,000 hectares of rice.

He said that in the face of this situation he does not discard that there may be more protests, because "the you want this activity to the food security of the country, has to continue fighting to get good achievements and that the government understands that the food is what first".

The President Juan Carlo Varela said last week that they were already supporting the rice producer with the allowance of $7.50 and that he could not get involved with the legal aspect that maintain the partnership with the National Bank of Panama.

http://www.prensa.com/provincias/Chiriqui-Productores-pierda-actividad-arrocera_0_4564793518.html

Edited September 2, 2016 by Keith Woolford