Government Buys 32,000 Banana Clusters

During the first week of bananas comercialization, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAGAP) bought 32,000 clusters of banana at a price of $ 2 per cluster.This purchase is part of the emergency on the banana sector issued on 18 August, which will last five weeks.Stanley Vera, Minister of Agriculture, said yesterday that the fruits purchased in the provinces of Guayas, Los Rios and El Oro have been given free to farmers’ associations to serve as food for livestock. While the fruit is purchased during the other three weeks of emergency will be delivered to the Ministry of Education for school feeding.

The MAGAP planned to buy 62 clusters of bananas in the first week, but because of the upturn in the spot price (sale of the fruit without contract) producers prefer to sell the fruit at $ 4 than at $ 2, said Vera.

Source: Diario El Universo