Panama Investor Blog

The Price of Modernization in Panama

Currently, Panama has approx – 420,000 indigenous – who live in protected areas.

These areas are approximately 30% of the total territory of Panama, where 12% of the population have their own rules, principles and values.

Here is a video about the construction site of Barro Blanco, a hydroelectric dam in the Chiriqui Province of Panama. The dam has been the subject of significant controversy for years, as the construction project threatens the local population of the Ngäbe-Buglé, an indigenous tribe of Panama. According the Ngäbe, the dam will displace thousands of local inhabitants and impacts thousands more who rely on the river for potable water and fishing.

 

There is a “conflict” in process – a conflict of basic human needs in Panama.

SHELTER - WATER – FOOD – ENERGY and SECURITY are areas in which Panama must improve and develop to become the supposed “dragon” of the Americas.

 The Price of modernization in Panama is the continuous threat towards biodiversity.

A possible “threat” in the future may be the population growth of the indigenous – permaculture and bio-technology must be taught to grow organic food - as it is a must if they wish to conserve their protected areas in a sustainable manner considering how fast they are growing.

Coffee - "The Best of Panama 2014" hits average price per pound $34.61

Chiriqui: Valley of the Moon is where the best coffee of Panama is produced, thanks to its biodiversity and fertile earth located at the skirts of the Volcan Baru.

Panama Prensa –  A total of 46 batches of the best Panamanian coffee will be offered in the second electronic auction "the best of Panama" on August 26th with a base of $ 4 per pound price, confirmed today the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama.

The Association noted that the contest for the batches obtained XVIII last international coffee cupping Panama over 85 points corresponding to 14 lots of washes Geishas, ​​Geishas Natural 7, 7 and 18 Traditional Traditional Natural Washed be included.

 

The traditional coffee varieties include Bourbon, Typica, Pacamara, Caturra and Catuai added the Association.

Plinio Ruiz, President of the Association, explained that this second auction this year is to expand the sales channel, using the electronic auction to the future Panama place all production of specialty coffee processing in demanding international markets.

"The Best of Panama 2014" achieved the best average price of $ 34.61 per pound and producers are now ready for a second auction where they hope to get very good prices.

This week the second electronic auction aimed and international buyers have begun to compete for enrollment each batch of coffee for auction.

Want to invest in coffee? Let us know, and we will help you find available land for the production of high quality products.

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Best of Panama 2014

Food production at risk in Panama

For many moving to Panama and especially the Chiriqui highlands, the fact that it is the bread basket of the country was a major attraction. At a time with food prices are escalating, the fact that less land is being cultivated for food production could not come at a worse time. This article from La Prensa gives us the reasons and ramifications along with some interesting statisitcs.

La Prensa

Business & Economy

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Agricultural sector in crisis

Bajan hectares

In the past five years in Panama have stopped cultivating about 35,000 hectares, with a noticeable drop in rice.

GRAIN. During the 2010-2011 crop season in the country is 58 000 hectares of cultivated rice. In Panama, the annual per capita consumption is 154 pounds, the highest in Central America. LA PRENSA / Jihan Rodríguez.1486945

Aet Elisa Tejera C.
[email protected]

The agricultural sector did not stabilize, and increasingly less land devoted to food production.

In the past five years in Panama the agricultural landscape has been in decline, have stopped cultivating about 35 hectares, food imports have increased and the country's food security is at risk.

The lack of agricultural policies that encourage the production, poor access to financing, the contraction of international markets and bad weather were the final blow to finish buried in 2010 in a sector that is stumbling.

The production of vegetables, coffee, corn, cucurbits (melon, squash and watermelon), beans and bananas are some of the crop losses were by 40% due to excessive rains.

Virgilio Saldaña, president of the Association of Producers of Chiriquí highlands, described as disastrous this year that is ending, where vegetables, mainly potatoes and onions, were lost in the field by excessive rains.

However, Saldana said, the producers have not only had to deal with climate variability and high production costs, but also to uncontrolled imports.

It is estimated that 2010 closed with some 220 million pounds of onions imported, 44% of annual consumption in the whole country is 500 million pounds.

In the Chiriqui province between 2002 and 2009 some 941 farmers abandoned crops traditionally planted, according to a report of the Chamber of Commerce in this region.

Some migrated to livestock producers or other type of crop and others simply left agricultural activity. The main drop was recorded in crops such as rice, coffee, banana, sorghum, corn and potatoes.

Francisco Antúnez, a member of the Union of Nontraditional Agroexporters Panama, warned that failure to establish policies designed to encourage production, the country depends on imports, threatening food security.

During the 2010-2011 crop season in the country will be cultivated only a few thousand 500 hectares of cucurbits, where three years ago 6 000 hectares were planted.

For this year, shipping to Europe and United States non-traditional products such as watermelon, melon, pumpkin and pineapple fell 40%, causing a considerable decline in a sector that the country regularly generated revenues of 100 million dollars annually.

"Three years ago cucurbit production generated about 20 thousand jobs, a figure that has dropped to 6 000 jobs. In the agricultural year 2009-2010 the export of cucurbits generated revenues of $ 52 million, which could fall to $ 30 million next year, estimated Antúnez.

The Minister of Agriculture, Emilio Kieswetter, acknowledged that the sector is in crisis. Rice, the staple grain in the diet of the Panamanian, is a crop that has reduced the acreage planted.

In 1994 the country grew about 75 thousand hectares of grain and in 2010 reached 58 000 hectares.

Sorghum has run a worse fate. 20 years ago in the country grew about 12 thousand hectares of corn and sorghum is now about to disappear, "said Kieswetter.

To try to revive the sector, the Ministry of Agriculture is working on a strategic plan at a cost of $ 700 million.

Initially, the plan will focus on boosting the production of milk, meat, rice, corn, potatoes, onions, beans and sugar cane, to try to minimize the cost of basic food basket, "said Kieswetter.

In order to reduce the cost of the basket will remove distortions in the domestic market and strengthen the capacity of storage and distribution of food, he added.

You can strengthen outreach programs, where the producer is able to provide direct technical assistance in the field and not only production but also administrative and post-harvest handling. SEE 38A

PRODUCTION FIGURES

500 000 - quintals of onions are consumed annually in the country.

250 - Acres of potatoes and onions have been cut in the last year.

105 - Farmers in upland Chiriqui, stopped growing vegetables in 2010.

VOICES RATED

Failure to establish policies designed to encourage production, the country depends on imports endangering food security. "
Francisco Antunez
Producer

The agricultural sector is in crisis, more and more producers leaving the business. To reactivate the plant is preparing a strategic plan.
Emilio Kieswetter
Minister of Measure

Panama continues use of banned toxic pesticides

I find it of great concern that Panama continues to use pesticides and other chemicals applied to food products that have been banned in the U.S., Europe and other countries. Even after last years ban on 18 pesticides, all of these products are still widely used according to this article in La Prensa. The main focus of this article is a ripening chemical that is being used improperly which has been found to be toxic. By soaking fruit in this chemical rather than using it only during flowering, farmers have found the fruit to stay fresher much longer at the expense of everyone's health.

Aet Elisa Tejera C.
[email protected]

Etephon agrochemical use, used to accelerate the ripening of fruits like pineapple, mango, orange, banana and vegetables, was banned this month.

The chemical was originally used to accelerate flowering of the fruit, but agricultural officials found that it was being used as a soaker, which caused concern.

The excess of this substance in the maturation of the fruit might cause problems in the digestive and nervous systems temporarily, especially in children 4 to 6 years.

Through Resolution 954 of September 9, published Tuesday in the Official Gazette, was established within six months after its enactment, to suspend the sale and use of this substance in ripening fruit in the postharvest stage.

To ensure compliance with the legislation, producers must inform the shops for which crop is used Etephon said Lucas Eduardo Mora, general director of Public Health.

However, in the sector are those who doubt the controls, especially because 18 highly toxic pesticides, the import and domestic use should be prohibited since April 2009, are still legal tender in view of a determined in the Ministry Development (MIDA) has not been signed.

Etephon use is so widespread that last year found that Measure including the Mercado de Abasto some sellers sprayed with the chemical green mangoes from Costa Rica to ripen faster.

Jorge Igualada, secretary of the Union of Nontraditional Agroexporters says that this product is used only in the flowering stage of the crop. Recognizes the harmful effect of Etephon in the ripening stage, so it does not show opposition to be taken off the market, if farmers have some evil of the chemical.

Cero Punta, the toxic capital of Panama

It is unfortunate that one of the most beautiful areas of the country is also one of the most toxic according to this article in La Prensa. " "In Cerro Punta people bathe daily with pesticides, exposing themselves to risk predictions reserved" he said.  Carranza concerns that when people use agrochemicals is exposed to large doses of these hazardous substances."

And what of the people who consume these products? "Among the pesticides that are seeking to ban lindane, paraquat, malathion and carbofuran, widely used in agricultural production in the country, especially in the highlands of Chiriqui, from which over 60% of vegetables and vegetable consumed in Panama."

According to the article only 5% of the vegetables in Panama are organic because the farmers don't want to spend the money needed to produce them. And of course the consumer is not educated to the dangers in of eating these contaminated products and if they were, would they be able to afford them?