The meeting in which the new price of banana boxes for export was meant to be set finished without an agreement between producers and exporters.
Now the Ecuadorian government will have to determine a new price or ratify the current one. At the moment the price is set at $ 5.50.
Before the meeting, exporters expressed their opposition to raising the price of a box considering that the foreign markets were not responding well due to the crisis in the Eurozone.
"We suggested for it to remain at $ 5.50 and work to lower production costs, increase productivity and maintain the same profitability margins for producers," said Eduardo Ledesma, director of the Ecuadorian Banana Exporters Association.
The union representative assured that supplies could be provided at a lower cost for producers.
For his part, Julio Cruz, representative of Guayas' producers, said that they believe the price should go up, as production costs increased this year. "We want the price to rise to $ 6.50," he stated.
Addressing the possibility of reducing production costs, Cruz said that if they wish to reduce them, the Government should import the supplies. "In that case there would be room for negotiation."
Guillermo Aspiazu, representative of Los Rios' producers, explained that while producing a banana box cost around $ 4 last year, it has now gone up to $ 5. In addition to that, he said that producers do not receive enough credit.
Source: Eluniverso.com