On Thursday, Del Monte stated at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Chiriqui (Camchi) that it would invest 120 million dollars in 1,300 hectares in the district of Baru that are devoted to the cultivation of bananas for export.
"We are telling the Chamber of Commerce of Chiriqui and the former employees that we are interested in boosting banana production and that we are going to invest 120 million dollars, which will allow us to reactivate the activity in the district of Baru," said Luis Gomez, a spokesman for the company.
He said that they were currently in the process of acquiring the different blocks of land from the former employees and the Government to make it a profitable business, as the 120 million dollars will be invested in stages.
However, he said, they were seeking a clear way to acquire the land to implement the project in a short time so they can start exporting bananas as soon as possible.
Gomez said they had requested the Government gave them the same conditions it had given to the company Chiquita when it entered the area.
The company spokesman acknowledged that they were having talks with the government to acquire the land that belonged to the state and that had been given in concession to the Chiquita Brand.
He said that Del Monte wants to start this project as soon as possible, but that it depended on the procedures that they had to carry out with the Government to sign a macro-agreement.
The early work would include the water concession, land preparation and creation of channels.
Del Monte's spokesman said Baru would benefit from the investment as it would activate the economy and create new jobs.
He stated that the main idea of the investment was producing and exporting bananas, so they were eager to begin as quickly as possible.
The company confirmed that they were currently evaluating the best way to buy the 1,700 hectares that former employees were willing to sell.
Edwin Vergara, national director of Agribusiness at the Mida, said the government was interested in making agreements that allow reviving the banana industry.
Andres Espinoza, a spokesman for the former employees and owners of a hectare of land in the banana plantations, said they expected Del Monte would be able to enter Baru in the coming months.
Espinoza said that the banana industry should be working by next year, and that it would be a solution to the labor problem faced in Baru.
"We have a verbal agreement with Del Monte. They will give the first job opportunities to the former employees or to their children," Espinoza said.
Reactivation of the banana sector
The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Chiriqui (Camchi), Camilo Brenes, said the announcement of the investment that Del Monte was going to make in Baru was a unique opportunity for this sector of the province, which has a high unemployment and poverty rate. He requested the government completed procedures as quickly as possible so as to help the sector. Jose Antonio Yock, vice president of Del Monte; the national director of Agribusiness of Mida, Edwin Vergara, and the authorities of the province of Chiriqui participated in the meeting held at the headquarters of Camchi.
Source: panamaamerica.com.pa