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Citrus processing industries break with growers and leave the Citrus Sectorial Chamber
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| The crisis between citrus processing industries representatives and citrus growers worsened yesterday when the Brazilian Association of Citrus Exporters (Abecitrus) requested its dismissal from the Citrus Sectorial Chamber, an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, created on July 2004 to discuss the matters related to brazilian citrus industry.
On a press note, Abecitrus president Ademerval Garcia justified his decision criticizing Flávio Viegas, the president of the Chamber and also of Associtrus, who had forwarded to the Chambers board of directors heavy criticism regarding the citrus processing industries and the Citrus Industry Defense Fund (Fundecitrus).
This behavior is not constructive and does not match with the importance of an entity created to contribute with the progress of the whole citrus productive chain. Brazilian citrus processing industries employs lots of people and generates much exchange value. They are respected in the whole world and cannot accept these constant and gratuitous aggressions, coming from who they come from, criticizes Garcia.
It is unfortunate that we had to make this decision because the Chamber would be an excelent institution where we could fight our common problems, but we don't want to extend this confrontation says Garcia.
Growers
Flavio Viegas affirms that even though he feels sorry for Abecitrus decision to leave the Citrus Sectorial Chamber, the industries presence did not contribute for the discussions within the Chamber. Abecitrus was absent for most of the discussions and they refused to discuss the matter that most interested the growers, which is the creation of a standard contract. Besides, the Chamber was created to discuss the citrus growers problems and Ademerval Garcias presence only intimidated them most of the times.
Next week, the feud between growers and industries is likely to worsen. On Monday, there will be the first Citrus Sectorial Chamber meeting without the industries presence. On the next day, Fundecitrus council will have a meeting to decide the future of the entity, which is one of the sectors main research institutes. The most important decision will be about the change on the entitys board of direction.
Growers want Fundecitrus presidency, which belongs to Ademerval Garcia, also president of Abecitrus.
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