3,000 boxes of bananas with the Panama Exports brand were sent on Monday, February 11, to California, USA, as part of the banana reactivation in Baru, in the province of Chiriqui.
The President of the Republic, Juan Carlos Varela, and the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Nestor Gonzalez, attended Puerto Armuelles for this first banana export of the Banapiña SA company and made a tour of the banana farms in the place.
The president said that the reactivation of Baru's banana production was possible thanks to the hard work that had been carried out to negotiate, reach an agreement, and support investment to provide the population of Baru and Puerto Armuelles with a new opportunity.
"The negotiations were long because we were looking for the best results, defending the interests of the State and the people of Baru. Today's shipment demonstrates that this was a serious process that came to a good end. It was a healthy, honest, and positive transaction for Panamanians," he said.
President Varela said that he had instructed an inter-institutional team of the Government of the Republic to initiate actions to help reactivate the production and export of bananas from the District of Baru.
"Thanks to the efforts of this team, we achieved this agreement with Banapiña, reactivating the banana production activity in the area, generating new jobs, plus an economic investment with direct and indirect impact on the social and economic area," he said.
According to projections, Banapiña will produce about 900 hectares each year. There are 1,800 banana plants of the Gran Naim variety per hectare; a variety that produces a large and sweet fruit. The average annual productivity is 3 thousand boxes of banana per hectare, the entity said.
