Costa Rican producers of pineapple and the Chamber of Exporters have asked the government to lift the roadblocks that have been affecting the country in recent days. 52% of Costa Rica's pineapples are produced in San Carlos, in the north of the country, so the blockages could cause the sector large losses.
The police intervened on the night of July 1 and cleared several roadblocks, such as route 32, so that they could be used on Tuesday, July 2. However, a new blockade in the area of San Carlos was reported in the morning.
According to Abel Chavez, the president of the National Chamber of Pineapple Producers and Exporters, the last blockages affected 1.2 million boxes of fruit and led to economic losses that amounted to 6 million dollars.
Chavez said that if this situation continues, the fruit packing plants will have to be closed, which would affect the 300,000 families that depend on these jobs. It is reported that 10 million dollars in losses a day due to the blockages in recent days.
