Paraguay: Potato and onion producers suspend road closures and grant the government a respite.
LA COLMENA. Farmers in the ninth department suspended the planned closure of Route PY01 and gave the National Government a break while they await concrete responses regarding smuggling control.
Producers from the districts of Ybytymí, La Colmena, César Barrientos, General Bernardino Caballero, and Acahay met with Governor Zárate de Monges to request her mediation with the National Government. They seek urgent solutions to improve marketing and guarantee fair prices for potatoes and onions, and demand strict control of smuggling during harvest season in our country.
The governor pledged to support the producers and arrange a meeting with the President of the Republic so their demands can be heard.
Engineer Heriberto Colmán, a potato producer, explained that the situation is critical: "We are once again experiencing marketing problems. We depend on these crops to support our families, but domestic production isn’t selling."
He added that they are asking for a fair price of G. 5,000 per kilo , since production costs have risen too much due to inflation in agricultural inputs, and their products are of excellent quality.
Colmán also reported that, despite the expiration of import permits, local markets remain flooded with foreign potatoes and onions. The last permit for the entry of onions expired on August 4, and the potato permit expired on September 9; however, smuggling continues unchecked.
Route closure warning remains in effect
The producers had decided today to close Route PY01 over the Caañabé Bridge, at kilometer 85, in the Carapeguá jurisdiction, as a pressure measure. However, they decided to suspend the mobilization as a sign of goodwill until they receive a response from President Peña Nieto.
Farmer Colmán noted that producers trust the governor to be the liaison with President Peña Nieto. "We need rigorous oversight by the relevant institutions: the Navy, the Armed Forces, those responsible for the National Directorate of Tax Revenue (DNIT), the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), the National Service for Plant and Seed Quality and Health (SENAVE), and Customs," the producer stated.
The representatives who will participate in the meeting with the president are Heriberto Colmán, Cirilo Acuña, and Victorio Núñez . According to estimates, the department of Paraguarí has more than 400 hectares of potatoes and 200 hectares of onions under cultivation, but sales remain minimal.
Producers are confident that with firm measures against smuggling and marketing support, the domestic market will be reactivated, benefiting all farmers.
Fuente: Traducido por Argenpapa de: abc.com.py
