The increase in fuel prices has put agricultural producers in the interior of the country on alert. They warn of a direct impact on production costs, the sowing and harvesting of food, and the final price that the consumer will have to bear. Producer Milagros Villarreal Morales expressed her concern about the constant rise in fuel, emphasizing that this situation hits younger generations, who depend on agriculture, the hardest. “Every day we are more concerned, because fuel is needed for everything, and this will worsen the cost of the basic basket,” she noted. Villarreal warned that the increase in transportation and production costs will lead to a general rise in essential products. Meanwhile, producer and president of the Azuero industrial tomato producers, Celestino Rivera, described the situation as critical, especially at the beginning of the harvest. “The increase in diesel is very serious for us, as it raises all production costs. They were already tight, but now they could exceed our capacity,” he stated. Rivera explained that fuel is essential at all stages of the agricultural process, from land preparation to product transportation, so any increase directly affects the producer's profitability. The leader was emphatic in stating that this scenario jeopardizes the country's food security. “The food of the Panamanian people is at stake here. If the producer is not supported, the consumer will suffer the consequences with higher prices,” Rivera warned.
