Bananas warm Puerto Bolivar

The banana farmers try to reverse a decision taken by who from this week operates the Puerto Bolivar port under the figure of concession. YiportEcu, forced to pay a lease fee, equivalent to about 5 million dollars, set a rise from 13 to 28 cents per box.

Rafael Sapiña, the manager of the Puerto Bolívar docks, told this to Daily Expreso, although Luis Omar Jairala, undersecretary of Ports and Maritime Transport, points out that “the rates negotiated between exporters and YilportEcu S.A. must have the technical support.” “Until its revision and approval, there will be no increase in tariffs.”

Yesterday, the representatives of the exporters were looking for allies in Machala, the capital of El Oro. One of them is Mayor Carlos Falquez Aguilar, who is against the increase of tariffs and who has even suggested the departure of the Turkish company.

At the meeting the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE), which groups 53 companies; The Banana Production, Marketing and Export Association (Acorbanec), made up of 16 companies, along with the Banana Economic Integration Network (Banavid), made up of 23 associations of small and medium-sized producers, and the Associación de Bananeros Orenses also asked to prohibit the increase in tariffs that would greatly affect this productive activity.

Banana, as the main export after oil, is a sensitive product of the economy. Last year sales generated $ 2,734 million, 24% of non-oil sales.