Small Banana Producers Face Difficulties

Banana loses due to plague and low prices

The low prices along with the higher requisites to harvest and the new taxes and work reforms in Ecuador have caused that several small banana producers lose several hectares of their product.

This year many banana producers started receiving $5,50 per banana crate, now the only receive $3 or $2. According to statements of the banana producer ‘Carlos Mendieta Peláez Diez’ nobody can live with that amount of payment.

The recent intervention of the government raised the hopes of many small and medium producers, but so far the free fumigation to fight off the ‘black sigatoka’ plague has not occurred. The government hasn’t even appeared to help the plantations. (AV)