The increase of the various cuts of beef that are not within the Control of Prices program has led Panamanians to be heading to the consumption of chicken and eggs as was confirmed yesterday by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, Nestor Gonzalez .
The official explained that the sale of chicken in the country has increased.
The reason for the change in the diet of panamanians becomes evident when taking into account the behavior of the price of beef during the last year, registered by the Authority for Consumer Protection and Defense of Competition (Acodeco) .
From October 2014 to October 2015, the Ropa Vieja (cut of beef) increased 13.9%, chopped steak 11.8 % and mulatto loin prices increased 10.5%, Acodeco said.
Other cuts like rincon +9.45%, while the falda limpia +11.9 %.
The statistics of the National Association of Poultry Farmers of Panama (ANAVIP) also corroborate the statement of Gonzalez.
The Panamanian chicken consumption increased one pound since the beginning of the Control of Prices, since in 2014 the per capita consumption was 84 pounds and in 2015 raised to 85 pounds a year .
Experts attribute the increases to the implementation of price controls, in their opinion, it has achieved more distortion to the market, contrary to the purpose of the measures implemented by the Government.
According to Yori Morales, president of the Distributor Company 's Food Market Society, this is the product of the Price Control, it doesn't work and must be removed.
More distortion
For producers, consumers and intermediaries, the measure doesn't have any benefits, but harm.
Morales explained that in the case of smalls tomatoes, product included in the control of prices, from June to November 2015 the average price was 0.30 cents per pound, while the fixed price is $1.08.
This let the traders to sell it the most possible expensive, when in fact its price was much lower, in which cause it did not benefit the final consumer.
Meanwhile, when products by different factors increase their prices, producers or intermediaries recorded losses.
The yam is one of those products that sometimes is well below the regulated price ( currently range from $ 0.40 to $ 0.55 per pound ), although, last year reached increased to a dollar per pound , causing significant losses, Morales said.
With the new increase, the producer of yam can be earning $5 per quintal and that it will discourage to continue sowing.
Experts believe that prices should be left to the free supply and demand, and this has caused producers to stop planting yams and other items because they are not profitable.
According to the National Director of Agriculture, Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA), Moises Batista, the area planted in the agricultural year 2013- 2014 it was 1,956 hectares, while in 2014- 2015 was 1,548 hectares, a 26.3% or 408 hectares less.
At Panama, even before the soaring price of yam 51,500 quintals consumed monthly , according to MIDA, however, the consumers said they will have to replace the product for others.
The president of the National Union of Consumers and Users of the Republic of Panama ( Uncurepa), Pedro Acosta, said the Price Control has shown that the system has failed and that prices should be left to the free supply and demand .
"What was used at first was a promise to protect the consumer, but it has not been achieved and the -the government) has extended the measure.
Pérdidas
408 hectáreas menos de ñame se han sembrado desde que se inició la medida del Control de Precios.
51 mil 500 quintales de ñame es lo que consume el panameño mensualmente.
