The adoption of the standard correlated with international standards for the meat trade continues to be delayed in the Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile the industry and administrative authorities are preparing a visit to Uruguay, one of the world's leading exporters of beef, which is "the only country in the region that has made all of its livestock production traceable."
Discussion will start next Wednesday on the scope of Bill No. 342 "Establishing National Livestock Traceability".
A statement by the Legislature reads:
Subcommittee will consult with farmers
The Agricultural Subcommittee of the National Assembly, chaired by Deputy Tito Rodriguez, will meet next Wednesday to discuss the scope of Bill No. 342 "Establishing a National Livestock Traceability Program".
The Agricultural Competitiveness Trust will include in its budget allocations for breeders of beef cattle and milk cattle for the purchase of stallions, improved pastures, and other things.
"The deputy minister of MIDA, Gerardino Batista, announced yesterday that sectors producing beef cattle and milk cattle will be incorporated for the first time into the Agricultural Competitiveness Trust (Fideicomiso para la Competitividad Agropecuaria in Spanish), which provides incentives in areas such as the purchase of stallions, improved pastures and other things limited to the amount of $100,000", reported Panamaamerica.com.pa.
Panamanian farmers plan to export 15,000 veal calves per year to Mexico and are preparing to send thousands of heads to Costa Rica.
Panamanian farmers will send about 15,000 calves for fattening to Mexico a year, and aim to confirm the export of between 7,000 and 8,000 head of cattle to Costa Rica, where they have already sent 360 cattle.
Business in Mexico was closed with two primers of cattle whose annual demand is 300,000 heads.
Lack of livestock traceability is preventing access of meat to the European market, for which there is a quota of 9,000 tons.
The biggest challenge facing the region is to meet the health, environmental and competitiveness standards demanded by those markets, said Alexander Acosta, from the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).