Ecuador: The sugarcane growers denounce that the mills do not pay them the official price

Members of the National Union of Sugarcane Growers of Ecuador (UNCE) complain that the mills pay them per ton below the minimum support price, between 32 and 33 dollars. In addition to this, the payment is made between eight months and one year. They maintain that they feel that they do not have an authority that watches over their economic well-being; that the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) promised to enforce the official price, but that this has not been fulfilled. The complainants are even afraid that their names will be published, for fear of reprisals that the mills may take, such as not buying their harvest from them. Diario EXPRESO asked Bella Vargas, president of UNCE, about this complaint and she said that it is true that some sugarcane growers have this problem. A similar response was given by Alberto López, president of the Milagro sugar cane growers. Regarding this issue, the MAG explained that the minimum support price for standing sugarcane with 13º Pol (measurement ...