BRIEFS: Agriculture

Agrarian reform seeks transfer of jurisdiction

The Asamblea Nacional is reviewing an agrarian reform that would transfer jurisdiction over agrarian matters from civil authorities to others with more expertise in the field.

Supreme Court judge Alberto Cigarruista said yesterday that the current norms, which date back to 1962, need to be “totally overhauled.”

The judge met with members of the Asociación Nacional de Ganadores (Anagan), a branch of the Unión Nacional de Productores Agropecuarios de Panamá (Unpap), and other industry representatives to discuss the benefits of the proposed reforms. Proponents of the bill hope it will streamline judicial proceedings and hearings concerning land disputes.

Anaga chairman Luís Martínez described the initiative as positive, but cautioned that land tenure is a thorny and very delicate issue that needs to be addressed with great care. He criticized the bill for putting the state’s interests over all others, since the state’s function should be to act as a promoter and facilitator of land investments.

The meeting’s attendees questioned many of the bill’s other articles, arguing that they were poorly written and left the domestic producer defenseless.