Corn farmers send distress signals

Image: Expreso

Those who produce the food consumed by birds and pigs in the country say they are in a critical situation because its most important raw material, corn, is scarce now and therefore, expensive, even though the world has a grain at a much lower price.

Those who produce cereal are also on alert, but for their future: a global overproduction and high competitiveness of neighboring countries, based on cheap imports threatens 50,000 Ecuadorian peasant families.

On the side of farmers, the honorary president of Fenamaíz (Producers Association), Cesar Herrera, has the voice: “The situation is extremely serious, you have no idea how hard it is,” noted the leader.

“The price of $ 15.90 (per quintal) is impossible, import from Colombia and Peru costs them $ 10, including tariffs and other taxes in Ecuador, in the best case we pay $ 11.70 and there is no the slightest chance that the market price grows: corn slightly reaches the record, in the world there is an incredible abundance,”said Herrera to Daily Expreso. There is oversupply until 2017. Problems will come in the next harvest.

Under these conditions, how can it be possible that the Government keeps silence, and makes the farmers sow and make the commercial houses sell the very expensive anti-pests kit to them -with 2016 prices-? to then say, “corn fell, why nobody says that. “Ecuador raises the price of imported corn, with tariffs to benefit the producer.

Our neighbors, he notes, are introducing to the country fertile eggs and the chicken that used to cost $ 1.70 costs now 1.15. They have killed the little poulterer.

Source: http://expreso.ec/expreso/plantillas/nota.aspx?idart=8677368&idcat=38269&tipo=2