Following the concern expressed by Ñuble farmers regarding the low prices of grapes (about $80 per kilo) and the discontent of wheat producers, who questioned that Cotriza would not be paying the prices they estimated for this season, the Seremi de Agriculture, Antonio Arriagada, held a meeting with the leaders to look for alternatives that guarantee fair prices.
“Yesterday I was with the winery leaders in the ordinary meeting that we hold, we are meeting once a month with the majority of the leaders of the Itata Valley and clearly in this meeting they brought the concern of the grape price signals . We are working very hard on winemaking and increasing winemaking as a way to get ahead, but clearly we have not yet reached a sufficient percentage to make an impact on grape prices and we are still selling grapes to the traditional purchasing powers and these powers are giving signals of low prices,” he explained.
As possible solutions, the Seremi de Agricultura proposed the winery leaders to look for other sources of sales to companies that require grapes for the production of their products.
“We agreed that we are going to try to talk directly with our purchasing powers, with other companies that need grapes, such as companies that make vinegar. I will also try to talk to Ianza if there is any alternative for those juices. The idea that we are proposing to you is to have a regional agenda to search for markets for the grape issue,” Arriagada highlighted.
Regarding the low prices of wheat, the regional authority recognized that the situation is complex but at the same time assured that Cotriza’s purchase prices are in line with international markets.
“We had a wheat table at the national level where all the representatives of the chain were present, the possibilities of the State, let’s say with the economic system we have, are reduced and we are going to try to use everything we have available and one of those It is effectively Cotriza, where the opening of Cotriza was promised to start buying wheat and it is now open. The prices are part of the international market prices, the important thing is to have this purchasing power and try to influence the prices that are being paid, but clearly the wheat situation is complex. We have a regional agenda, which we are committed to moving forward, which is an agreement of the regional productive chain with a company that demands a lot of flour and we are continuing to work along that line,” he said.
Arriaga hopes that farmers’ demands will be heard and they will be able to achieve fairer prices for grapes and wheat, whose items are the main source of income for a large number of Ñuble producers.
Text: Jorge Hernán Quijada
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