The Minister of Agriculture, Bernardo Manzano, met with small banana producers in El Guabo, El Oro province, where he announced that the government had repealed Executive Decree 183 and reformed Executive Decree 1127, as the producers had requested.
By repealing Executive Decree 183, the government prohibits authorizations for new banana plantations in the country. The reform of Executive Decree 1127 eliminates the double control on the quality of bananas and establishes that they only are controlled on farms.
"We have come to tell you that we stand by your side," said Manzano, who held a dialogue with the producers after touring seven banana plantations where he saw the effects caused by the presence of Black Sigatoka. The Minister also told producers how they could access the benefits of the Emerging Plan, established by the authority to help banana growers.
Manzano told them that if the farms are affected by Black Sigatoka they could register them with the technicians of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) to receive a financial subsidy per plant with disrupted clusters, affected by Black Sigatoka, as well as a subsidy on agricultural inputs to nourish the plants and control the pests.
The minister also said that, as per his commitment, he was pressuring the fruit marketing and exporting companies to pay the minimum support price, set at $6.25 per box of bananas.
Source: agricultura.gob.ec
