Panama banana companies dying

The government has invested more than $30 million in them, to no avail
Panama Star Puerto Armuelles has 3,000 hectares of fertile land planted with banana trees, but nobody is tending them since the transnational United Fruit Company left the area after a dispute.

The Panamanian government said that they have received al least 8 proposals from different bidders to acquire the land and continue to exploit the banana plantations.But so far it has not accepted any of them.

Another company wants to grow oil palms in the 3,000 hectares The only problem is the 2,800 workers. The oil plantation needs the services of only one man for every eight hectares, which means that 1,800 men would lose their jobs. The workers just want the government to make a decision and sell the land. At the moment the only operation benefiting is the workers union, still collecting dues from its members.


Source: laestrella.com.pa

Publication date: 1/27/2009