Pork producers demand urgent measures amid overproduction and market shortage

Panamanian pork producers are grappling with a severe crisis, facing an oversupply of pork and a market unable to absorb the excess production. Members of the Association of United Pork Producers of Panama met recently to discuss the dire situation, which is leading to substantial economic losses for the sector.

Producers are urgently seeking a meeting with the Minister of Agricultural Development, Roberto Linares, or President José Raúl Mulino. They plan to present a series of proposals aimed at alleviating the crisis. Among the discussed alternatives is government support for exporting pork to international markets to address the surplus.

The association is also preparing a five-point plan that includes suspending temporary import licenses. These licenses, authorized under a chain agreement since April 14, permit the import of 1,500 tons of finished product and another 1,500 tons of raw material for processing. Producers argue that before allowing further imports, authorities must verify that companies are purchasing national production.

According to producers, only one company is currently buying national product. They are requesting control mechanisms and proportional quotas to ensure local producers have a market share. They also propose reviewing existing licenses, temporarily suspending them, and reviving export strategies that have previously helped place Panamanian products in foreign markets.

Juan Guevara, president of the Association of United Pork Producers of Panama, stated that the situation is causing significant economic losses, estimating them at $3 million monthly. "We can do something to maintain those jobs and prevent the economic impact from reaching the most vulnerable, who are the producers," he said. "We also want to increase the consumption of national pork through a campaign that the guilds are promoting."

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The producers are losing about 3 million dollars monthly. We can do something to maintain those jobs and prevent the economic impact from reaching the most vulnerable, who are the producers. We also want to increase the consumption of national pork through a campaign that the guilds are promoting.