Producers deny agreement with exporters on the price of a box of bananas

Although in the afternoon it was communicated from the banana export sector that after a negotiation table an agreement was reached so that the price of the fruit remains at $ 6.25, a value that currently governs, by 2022, the producers claim to have rejected that proposal.

From the National Federation of Banana Growers of Ecuador (Fenabe) they issued a statement saying that the document issued by the Undersecretariat of Strengthening of Musáceas of an alleged agreement between the parties is not valid because they assure that at no time was it agreed to leave the same value.

According to William Ramón, a representative of Fenabe who was present at the table, the proposal they had is that regardless of the sales value outside, producers should be paid $ 7.19 per box, an amount that he claims was calculated based on the increase in sales. fertilizers and a projection of the basic salary increase to $ 425, taking as a reference what was promised by President Guillermo Lasso on this issue.

Ramón also affirmed that the only thing they signed as representatives was an attendance record and not an agreement, therefore, they will present a clarifying document to the authorities.

“They were separate positions, at no time did we even discuss them and we assumed it was going to stay that way. I have been part of the advisory councils for the last eight years and we think the undersecretary should have said that since there is no agreement, talk, talk to see what they can do, but the matter was closed and we began to sign. Honestly, I tell the producers, they gave us the sheet, not the content of the minutes, it was published, but I did not pay attention to it … my surprise is that I pass it on to the producers and they tell me William what happened, you are approving 6.25 And I say no, I never approved it and no one in the sector did. There the controversy arose and we are writing a letter to present in the ministry at the single window with a copy to the Minister of Agriculture and the President of the Republic. What happened was really a mistake in good faith, but we as a producer sector do not accept (the position of the exporters) ”, says Ramón.

He adds that now this issue between the two positions has to be resolved by the minister of agriculture and has seven working days to do so.

Prior to the confusion about the alleged agreement, the export sector had said that the agreement had been reached because competitiveness could not be lost because there is pressure from supermarkets to pay less in international markets for the fruit, according to Richard Salazar , Executive Director of the Banana Marketing and Export Association (Asorbanec).

“Since 2015 it was at almost 14.50 euros, now they are paying 11.20 euros for the box, that is the reality, it is the trend,” said Salazar, who pointed out that no matter how much good will they may have, they must of some or another way to adapt to the market, which is what Ecuador has done. He also indicated that they are in talks with unions in the region to demand fair payment. (I)