Paraguay (Itacurubí del Rosario): Onion producers request control of smuggling
Onion producers in the area insist on the need for greater control over the entry of contraband into our territory, due to the permissiveness of the agencies responsible for guarding the borders with neighboring countries.
Illegal imports come primarily from Brazil and Argentina. They noted that, due to this scourge, many farmers lose millions of guaraníes each year.
The onion growers explained that the consequences of the uncontrolled entry of onions directly affect the price of the domestic product. Currently, buyers are only willing to pay up to G. 2,000 at most, an amount that does nothing to benefit the farmers who grow this crop, they indicated.
Currently, farmers reported that there are about 90 hectares of crops in this area during harvest season, distributed among various small and medium-sized farms.
One of the farms with the largest onion production is located in the Sargento Doroteo Morel company in this municipality. It belongs to producer Augusto Coronel, who has 47 hectares of onions this planting season, equivalent to about 1,600,000 kilos of the product, he commented.
Coronel commented that most onion growers in this area are preparing to go to market, but they can’t do so because the numbers don’t add up, due to the excessive influx of contraband from Brazil and Argentina, due to the lack of greater control by those in charge of guarding the borders.
He stated that the situation is extremely worrying, as it has become one of the most damaging scourges for Paraguayan producers for several years, not only those working in onion cultivation, but also those in other sectors.
Stop smuggling to secure the market
On this point, the producer demanded that existing organizations protect the interests of fellow farmers dedicated to agriculture —in this specific case, onions. He said smuggling must be stopped to ensure commercialization in the local market, which is currently saturated with Argentine and Brazilian onions, the consequences of which are causing incalculable harm to the entire productive sector.
Regarding the average price of the product in our market, the farm worker said that, at this time, at the local level, buyers are willing to pay, at most, up to G. 2,000 per kilo of onion, and that they want to sell it for at least G. 5,000, taking into account the cost of producing this amount of production, he said.
"We, the onion growers, demand that national authorities implement more rigorous controls in all border areas with Argentina and Brazil, as well as within our own country, primarily in the Alto Paraná area, Pedro Juan Caballero, Itapúa, Pilar , and other border cities," he emphasized.
Fuente: Traducido por Argenpapa de: abc.com.py
