QCOSTARICA – Costa Rica’s pig farmers are complaining about the growth in imports of pork from Chile, and are asking the government actions to protect them.
The problems of competitiveness of some sectors of the Costa Rican agro livestock production are emerging, as entrepreneurs from other countries with which it has free trade agreements, in this case Chile, take advantage of opportunities provided by those treaties.
Up to April this year 5,200 tons of pork has been imported, mostly from Chile, while it 1,200 tons were imported during 2014. Pork producers say that this increase is affecting them.
The president of the Chamber of Pork Producers of Costa Rica (Cámara de Porcicultores de Costa Rica), Renato Alvarado, told Crhoy.com that “… What worries us most is that is affecting the domestic market and also producers and has not resulted in a reduction in price for consumers, so we are calling on the authorities of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Trade (MEIC), and the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) to take action. ”
“… The number of pig farmers has been declining since that trade deal was approved, from 6,500 producers in 2000 to 3,500 in 2014.”
