Strong Winds Destroy Hundreds of Banana Plants in Changuinola
The banana growing area of Changuinola was hit yesterday morning by a storm that caused heavy losses in the companies that cultivate this important fruit, exported from Panama to Europe and America. Some of the companies most affected are the Atlantic Banana Cooperative R. L. (Cooabana) and the Bocas Fruit Company. Antonio Jordan, the administrator of Coobana, said about forty thousand plants were uprooted by strong winds, representing an estimated loss of over $100,000 in the three properties owned by this company.
Low Production - Jordan also said there will be a low production in the coming weeks, and they may not meet their commitments to international markets due to the damage caused by the storm yesterday in the province. He said it would take approximately nine months to recover from the losses caused by the storm, and he said company employees would issue the their official figures today.
Evaluation - A spokesman for the Bocas Fruit Company said they are assessing their properties farm by farm, to determine the exact number of plants damaged by the strong winds. It could be noted that on the "Débora" and "California" plantations, hundreds of plants were knocked down. (Siglo)
