The export price of Colombian bananas, the third largest export product in the country, has remained stagnant in the last five years. "It's outrageous that a kilo of bananas continues to cost 0.44/0.46 cents. We should be paid better for the sector's efforts and because of the high production costs there are," stated the Minister of Agriculture, Rodolfo Zea.
"The international markets, the European Union, which is one of our main markets, have higher and higher requirements on organic issues, they also demand the product doesn't have certain molecules, insecticides, and pesticides but the prices they pay do not recognize the efforts that our producers make."
In this regard, Zea highlighted that the Ministry has been promoting shared responsibility for environmental and social issues, so that the prices paid to producers improve to support their actions and that the activity is profitable.
The '2022 Banana Forum: "Advances in the sector for sustainable production,' is being held in Santa Marta on June 2 and 3. According to Minister Zea, the forum would address issues of utmost importance for this sector in terms of environmental sustainability, productivity and competitiveness, social impact, and plant health; focusing on phytosanitary control of diseases such as Fusarium Race 4.
"We are looking at the opportunities that the research to have resistant or disease-bearing varieties can give us, as well as the investments that must be made in infrastructure to improve banana production in this area of La Guajira and Magdalena," he added.
Source: opinioncaribe.com