Augusto Valderrama, the head of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA), participated in the shipment of the first container of the year. The Agro Tropical Sostenible company, based in Rio Grande, province of Cocle, exported 1,400 boxes of watermelon to the European market.
During the event, Valderrama praised the company as an agro-export model, highlighting its success in exporting cucurbits such as melons, watermelons, and pumpkins. In the last four years, they have increased their export capacity, establishing trade relations in the United States and Europe, where high-quality demand is crucial.
With the support of MIDA, the company aims to export between 350 and 400 containers of the various products it grows on its farms during the year. Tomás Solí, director of Agribusiness at MIDA, highlighted that the production of cucurbits has experienced a 10 to 20% growth per year since 2021.
José Víctor González, manager of the Agro Tropical company, said that they have more than 20 years of experience in production. He also said that they had gone from exporting two containers in their first year to nearly 400 containers per year now. He thanked Minister Valderrama for accompanying them during these four years, which he said motivates them to continue in this difficult, but very beautiful task of producing and exporting food, an activity that generates more than 300 direct jobs and foreign exchange for Panama.
According to data provided by the Agribusiness Directorate of the MIDA, producers will sow an estimated 850 hectares of watermelon (20 hectares more than in the previous year) and 61 hectares of melon, 11 hectares more than the projected area for the year 2023-2024, which stands at 1,081 hectares. According to estimates, the projected planted area will produce 1,610 containers in the 2023-2024 campaign.
Source: ecotvpanama.com