Diario las Américas., 1958-02-25
Know thv
Nei9hb"r'.
By RUIZ

PANAMA-Although the soil OF
Panama is very fertile and rain
fall and other climatic conditions
are very favorable to growing OF
a wide variety of tropical fruits
and vegetables, only a fraction OF
the rich interior plains and val
leys is under cultivation. In nor
NAL times, this is due mainly to
general lack Of interest in farm
ing, as the population trend is TO-
ward the crowded coastal cities;
but the shortage of farm labor
was greatly aggravated by the DIV
ersion of manpower for wartime
construction in the cities of Colon
and Panama, and commercial agrl-
culture must compete with hlgh-
paid city jobs. This is a serious
problem for a country largely de-
pendent on imports for its more
important commodities.
The Government of the coun-
try, has been giving special atten-
ton to assistance to farmers. For
several years It has been develop
ing a far-reaching agricultural and
industrial program intended to
make the nation more Self-suffl-
cient. A National School of Agri-
culture and an experiment pro-
gram we're established to introduce
more up-to-date farming methods;
and in an educational campaign,
using the facilities Of the press,
radio, and the mails, even the most
isolated communities re kept in
formed of farm prices, new
methods, assistance available from
the Government and so on. Numer-
u stations have been established
for distribution of selected seeds,
fertilizers, baby chicks, etc, and
cooperative farm societies organic
ed for use of farm equipment ac-
quired on a cooperative basis. The
Agricultural and Industrial Bank
encourages agricultural produc-
ton, granting credits to farmers
and adopting measures for the
control of production and imports.
The chief products raised and
consumed in Panama r rice,
corn, yucca, sugarcane, plantalns,
beans, coffee, pork and poultry. The
principal exports are bananas, aba
ca fiber, cacao, coconuts, and cat
tie hides. Rice is the staff OF life
in Panama, the per capita con-
sumption being, about 100 pounds
a year. Rice growing, with govern
ment assistance is a flouriShing
industry; special varieties OF seeds
have been introduced from abroad
and protective tariffs set up, with
prices stabilized The Government
has established almost 100 rice
hulling mills N different zones.
Production is estimated in 49,
900, 900 pounds a year.
Corn, which formerly was rails
ed only to feed livestock, forged
to the front in the nations agri-
cultural production to meet war
time needs. There are six large
sugar mills, which account for al
most all the sugar production OF
the Republic, ard since most OF
the sugarcane they grind is raised
on large plantations they own,
small farmers, practically all Of
whom produce some cane, can
not compete because of high labor
costs. Their cane is used, there
fore, to make molasses and a crude
form of brown sugar called pa
nela."
Coffee is grown in the cooler
regions, such as Boquete, Ell Vol
can, La Pintada and Santa Fe.
Here again the cost of labor pre-
vents the production of a crop larg-
err than that required to satisfy
the country's needs. Panamanian
coffee costs two or three times as
much to produce, as comparable
qualities from other Latin Ameri-
can countries sell for in the New
York market. Bananas have rank
ed first in export value, even dur
ing the war, when shipments were
cut down by lack of shipping
space.
Spanish Version Page