Of the 2 million hectares of land estimated to be available for agricultural crops, only 40,000 are dedicated to fruit production.

Because of its climate and quality of soil, Panama has great potential for growing tropical fruits, such as mango, papaya, pineapple, avocado, coconut and citrus. However, the country’s agricultural capacity is not being fully exploited. A report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that in order to take better advantage of these conditions, “… integration of fruit chains needs to be improved in order to take advantage of the agro – ecological, logistical advantages and the geographical position Panama has. “

See also “Central America: Frozen Fruit Exports Up 60%“

An article in Prensa.com reports that “… according to the study “Diagnosis of the fruit sub-sector of Panama”, by the FAO, one of the reasons why the country is not taking advantage of its potential, is … lack of organization of producers through agricultural associations, which constitutes one of the constraints for the sustainable growth of the fruit sector in Panama.”

See: “Panamanian Watermelon in Holland“

“… The enormous potential that the country has for the development of fruit growing should focus on the agro-industry, said Gerardo Escudero, representative in Panama of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).  ‘Panama, because it is entering the fruit system last, must consider an agribusiness strategy for fruits …  More than increasing production, we should focus on adding value to the fruit that makes a difference locally and internationally.“

Source:  CentralAmericaData.com