Egg producers reject MAG’s response to their sit-in and assure that they have no political motivations

The controversy continues between some associations of egg producers and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) over the situation caused by outbreaks of avian influenza that worries the sector, which according to Marisol Molina, executive director of the Union of Egg Producers ( Uniproh), has caused losses of 1 million birds and $8 million.

Over the weekend, Uniproh rejected a statement issued by MAG in response to a sit-in that this union staged last week along with two other unions: the Association of Balanced Food Manufacturers and Poultry Farmers of Tungurahua (Asofabat) and the Association of Poultry farmers from Cotaló (Asavico). He also assured that they were discriminated against by the State portfolio and rejected that their “peaceful protest” was politically motivated.

Chicken meat production rose 3% in 2022, but 2023 begins with losses of $8 million due to avian flu

In this regard, the unions made a specific observation to a part of the ministry’s response that says: “We call on small producers not to allow this contingency to become a weapon of political manipulation.”

Uniproh assured that hundreds of small, medium and large producers called themselves to the sit-in, together with their collaborators, supplier companies, transporters, merchants and all those who are related to the activity, due to the seriousness of the situation.

“The fact that you consider our sector as small should not be a reason to be discriminated against, since your State portfolio has the obligation to attend to all the requirements, without any discrimination (…) Poultry farmers throughout the country need concrete actions and there is no political issue involved”, say the Uniproh producers in their response to the MAG that they made public on their social networks.

The egg-producing poultry sector generates 20,000 direct jobs nationwide and 300,000 indirect ones (supply of corn, soybeans, transportation, marketing, supply of raw materials, among others).

Another complaint from the union is that the MAG, in its response, indicated that Minister Bernardo Manzano planned to receive leaders from the sector, some of whom were on the sit-in, at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 18, to advance this process. of information exchange, however, “they have opted for a measure of pressure,” lamented the ministry.

Small egg producers held a sit-in in Quito to demand concrete solutions from the Government regarding avian flu outbreaks

Given this, the producers defend themselves and assure that the meeting with Manzano was never confirmed by the representatives of the ministry because of the “pressure measures”. “We reject the fact that their representatives mention that a meeting was granted when it was never confirmed, however, from that, we hoped that a commission would be received,” added the union, which assured that the protest is a right that should never be a cause for restrict dialogue.

Meanwhile, the producers reiterated the requests to the Government that focus on subsidies or compensations to the affected poultry, that a long-term financial product be generated for their recovery, a poultry insurance that protects their birds and that a recovery plan be drawn up. aggressive containment of the virus that allows activities to continue.

However, the union clarified that “despite everything, we will insist on concrete actions that allow us to work and supply the most complete and economical natural protein in the country.”