Panama: Shortage of onion is worrisome

Currently there is a shortage of national onions, as the production of this item is not big enough t…

Currently there is a shortage of national onions, as the production of this item is not big enough to supply the local market.

Alvaro Caballero, a marketer, said a quintal of domestic onions cost 60 $ and that it didn't bring 50 pounds. Meanwhile, a quintal of imported onions costs between 62 and 64 $, forcing traders to sell their products above the control price.

This situation could worsen because onion producers have indicated that there would be a deficit of 21,000 quintal in the month of July in Panama.

Augusto Jimenez, an onion producer, said this situation was due to a lack of support for domestic producers by the competent authorities.

He also said that Panama had become unable to supply local consumption since 2008 and that it depended on imports.