Colombia (Berlin): Producers hold "papatón" in Bucaramanga to confront the crisis caused by low prices
For five years, they’ve been working at a loss and with debts to banks due to loans they’ve taken out. They’ve already spent $34,000 to buy two sacks of potatoes at Centro Abastos, when a sack costs more than $50,000 to produce.
Carrying bags full of freshly harvested potatoes, farmers from the district of Berlín arrived this Sunday at La Cigarra Park, in the Real de Minas sector of Bucaramanga, to hold a "papatón" (potato-thon) that will last until 5:00 p.m.
The event aims to encourage Bucaramanga residents to purchase potatoes directly from producers, from a pound to a sack, so farmers can recoup some of the money invested in their crops and raise awareness about the importance of consuming local produce.
The papers warn that the crisis is not new; for five years they have faced constant losses that have led them to go into debt with banks and operate practically at a loss.
At Centroabastos, for example, two sacks of potatoes sell for 34,000 pesos, but production costs exceed that figure. A worker earns 4,000 pesos for picking each sack, plus food and pay for the day; transportation costs 6,000 pesos, and the sack costs 2,000 pesos.
Fuente: Traducido por Argenpapa de :bluradio.com
