This was the main finding of a study conducted by IICA, the Inter-American Institute for Agricultural Cooperation. According to the report, the country does not take advantage of its favorable climate and soil composition for growing tropical fruits.

Francisco Antúnez, from the Union of Non Traditional Agri-exporters, remarks that "...lack of market security withholds growers from trying different crops", reported Prensa.com. "To solve this, Panama's Agricultural Research Institute (Idiap) is working on adopting new genetic material to increase tropical fruit production".

Source: Prensa.com

More on this topic

Fruits, Global Market and the New Reality

September 2020

Berries, cherries and citrus fruits, fruits that due to their vitamin C content are generally associated with positive effects on the immune system, reported increases in sales in the US and European markets during March, April and May 2020.

In this context of new consumption habits, which emerged worldwide due to the outbreak of covid-19, banana sales (due to its high potassium content and its contributions to health) have been extremely positive.

How to unleash Panama´s agricultural potential

February 2018

Of the 2 million hectares of land estimated to be available for agricultural crops, only 40,000 are dedicated to fruit production.

Because of its climate and quality of soil, Panama has great potential for growing tropical fruits, such as mango, papaya, pineapple, avocado, coconut and citrus. However, the country's agricultural capacity is not being fully exploited. A report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that in order to take better advantage of these conditions, "... integration of fruit chains needs to be improved in order to take advantage of the agro - ecological, logistical advantages and the geographical position Panama has. "

Region to Share Market Information on Tropical Fruits

October 2011

The project will support the standardization of methods to collate prices for fruits and other trading variables, with the aim of improving market intelligence in Central America.

A press release by American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture reads:

Central America, Panama, Belize and the Dominican Republic will share, on a regional platform, information emanating from the markets regarding its tropical fruits, in order to increase the competitiveness of the productive sector and identify export opportunities for agribusiness.

Tropical fruit importers pressured to keep prices low

January 2010

The economic crisis is forcing North American tropical fruit suppliers to lower prices.

Suppliers of wintertime produce from Central America and the Caribbean are finding that in the economic downturn they have to lower prices in order to keep customers.

Larry Leighton, president of Caribbean Fruit Connection Corp., Miami, said an added business challenge arises for suppliers intent on providing high quality, pricier products to customers who are willing to sacrifice quality for price.