An invoice that includes the formalization of the price stainsthe new mode of buying and selling Ecuadorian bananas, which is being discussed in the National Assembly, conflicts the actors in the chain and could even be the reason for a new banana strike if the system is incorporated into the regulations.

This was announced by the general assembly of banana growers held on Sunday, May 7 in the city of Machala (El Oro), where the leaders of various associations and the National Federation of Banana Growers of Ecuador (Fenabe) met, who, among several other points, went on a banana strike if the National Assembly inserts a price system into the Banana Bill stains.

Producers support the inclusion of a ‘spot’ price in the new law, which, although not in the current law, monopolizes banana exports

Segundo Solano, president of the Banana Growers Association of El Oro (ABO) and vice president of the National Federation of Banana Growers of Ecuador (Fenabe), assures that the inclusion of the price stains in the new regulations, it would be harmful for the production sector, especially for the smallest ones.

“We do not agree that the price should be included stains in the law. Producers of Guayas, Los Ríos, Esmeraldas, Cotopaxi, there is a large unit here that we do not agree with,” said Solano, who claims that the inclusion of this new modality would mean “establishing informality business.”

He noted that after approval of the prices stains nobody will want to sign a contract in the country. “Not even the importers will want it, because there is plenty of fruit stains in Ecuador,” said a worried Solano, who stated that there are about 4,500 producers in El Oro alone who are against the modification. La Fenabe assures that there are a total of more than 8,000 small and medium banana producers who are against the price injection stains in the banana regulations.

Solano also reported that the position of these producers was confirmed last Sunday in the Assembly. El Oro provincial assembly members Darwin Pereira (Pachakutik) and Fernanda Astudillo (UNES) were present at the event, who also expressed their support for banana farmers.

Astudillo said on his Twitter that “if it is about submitting a bill that tries to introduce negotiations stains it hurts our farmers, have my vote.”

Meanwhile, during the banana session, Solano pointed out that “the only ones who would benefit from (the inclusion of price stains) are the interests of large exporters, who planted thousands of hectares in violation of the law”.

Exporters: 55% of the destination markets for Ecuadorian bananas are ‘spot’, the market eventually becomes imposing

In the meantime, Fenabe assured in a statement that the project that is intended to be approved in the National Assembly is not one that is socialized with the production sector.

“They say that the law has been socialized with banana producers and it is so, but all the crimes they are trying to accept today have never been socialized. The production sector has socialized a plan completely different from the one that is being discussed today”, confirmed the union, which believes that the price stains “It’s an open door for exporters, given the law, to pay what they want as always.”

This new way of doing business, which would follow on from the one in force in the current regulations, which is the signing of a contract, was supported last week by a group of small banana producers represented by the leaders of the Agricultural Association Production of El Oro (Asoproagroro), Association of Small Producers banana El Guabo (Asoguabo) and the Regional Banana Corporation (Agroban).

The export sector, represented by the Ecuadorian Banana Marketing and Export Association (Acorbanec) and the Ecuadorian Banana Exporters Association (AEBE), also agreed to the inclusion of the new modality, which they claim applies to 55% of the markets that buy bananas from Ecuador.