ABAMA DENOUNCES GESBA’S LACK OF PAYMENT AND ACCUSES IT OF “SCANDALOUSLY DEFRAUDING” FARMERS

The Association of Banana Producers Organizations in RAM – ABAMA, today, through a statement, denounced the lack of payment by GESBA for the banana invoiced on December 31, 2022.

In the note signed by Antonino Abreu, ABAMA recalls that farmers have already paid taxes (VAT, social security, IRS) without having received them, thus asking for “respect for farmers, who are suffering great financial difficulties, with increases in phytosanitary products (doubled), electricity, water, wages, social security, accounting, VAT, irs, etc.”.

“Gesba was set up with the false promise of solving the problems of the banana sector in Madeira, “revolutionizing the sector” and increasing income for banana producers, but in reality it was set up to scandalously defraud the community aid for bananas given to farmers, decreasing the price paid to the producer, who received in 2005: Extra grade Banana €0.60/kg; First grade banana €0.51/kg and second grade banana €0.30/kg plus community aid”, regrets the association, which shows that the amount paid to the banana producer per category is less than €0.30 on average /kg compared to the year 2005. ~

“GESBA hides in commercial secrecy in order to control public opinion and farmers, to fabricate the scorched earth policy, not to grow bananas and enslave more and more banana producers and operate under a monopoly regime, a unique situation in the entire world. European space, throwing sand in the eyes of farmers and the general population. And is this what the Government is proud of in retaining money from farmers and going back to the past?”, he also asks.

From Jornal Madeira

This is a disgusting situation, and the government should be ashamed of this. Banana growers, sugar cane growers and other producers on the island are all paid terribly, and if they stop producing, then Madeira will lose out on so much, but the government find it hard to look past their thick heads.