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18 July 2008
Ecuador is tipped to join a reformed Unión de Países Exportadores de Banano, the South and Central American banana exporters’ rough equivalent to OPEC. UPEB was originally created by Panamanian President Omar Torrijos Herrera in 1974 as a way for Central American countries to obtain higher prices for their farmers. However it never achieved its goals and was dissolved in 2002.
Other countries participating in the negotiations are Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela, although Ecuador, the world’s largest banana exporter has also reportedly expressed an interest in joining. Guillermo Salazar, Panama’s Minister for Agricultural Development claims that the group will not be a pricing cartel nor will it impose a per-box levy to finance itself.
Source: Reefertrends.com/La Prensa, Panama City, 18th July
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