This year’s problem in Ecuador is overproduction. In 2016 trees gave less fruit, thus, generating a rise in prices.
Daniel Manzaba, an inhabitant of Rio Grande, said that farmers are paid a minimum of $4 and a maximum of $8 for 100 tangerines.
A ‘gatherer’ earns from $15 up to $20 daily and can collect up to 3,000 tangerines. “If you multiply that number by $1.70, the result is $51. What is left for the producer after transportation costs?”
Hence, the fruit is abandoned on the farms. “It is not enough to pay labourers and transportation.” Producers are concerned about the situation and therefore have been holding meetings with other owners of storage centres to request assistance to the Government. Javier Molina reported that “one of the requests is that the fruit is sold per kilo and not per unit.”
source: ecuadortimes.net
