After several months of inactivity in the banana fields of Bocas del Toro, Chiquita Panama has resumed operations, marking the company's return following a production halt caused by a strike earlier this year.
Panama's Minister of Labor and Labor Development, Jackeline Muñoz, stated that more than 1,600 workers have already been rehired under the company's phased reactivation plan. The initial stage is expected to reach 3,000 hires, primarily focused on cleaning and restoring banana plantations that were left unattended during the shutdown.
Chiquita suspended operations in April 2025 after a prolonged strike over social security reforms affecting pension benefits. The stoppage, which lasted more than two months, left thousands of hectares idle and disrupted one of Panama's main export industries.
The reactivation plan will proceed in two stages. The first involves cleaning and rehabilitation work, followed by renewed maintenance, logistics, and production activities. The second stage is expected to create an additional 2,000 jobs.
According to government projections, banana exports are expected to resume between December 2025 and January 2026. The recovery effort includes an estimated investment of US$30 million to restore approximately 5,000 hectares of production under a new operating framework.
Bananas remain Panama's leading agricultural export, accounting for 17.5% of total foreign sales during the first quarter of 2025. Export values reached US$324.4 million, the highest level in fifteen years, underscoring the sector's continued economic relevance.
Source: Mintec/Expana
