Bill 612.

Summary.

The bill would establish the Support Framework for Women Agricultural Entrepreneurs to promote agricultural production throughout Panama through coordination among public institutions and use of existing programs and resources. It gives priority to women in vulnerable circumstances or affected by gender gaps and historical inequalities. Eligible beneficiaries would be women engaged in agricultural production who have space for producing or marketing agricultural goods, regardless of ownership or the form of tenure. Organized groups of women could also benefit, even without legal personality, if they have an identifiable and locatable governing board.

The Ministry of Agricultural Development (Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario, MIDA) would facilitate access to existing programs, incentives, and in-kind support within agricultural institutions. It would provide information, guidance, and assistance through institutional and local channels to help potential beneficiaries participate. The ministry would also create marketing venues and promotional programs for their products. In coordination with the Agricultural Marketing Institute (Instituto de Mercadeo Agropecuario), the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Authority (Autoridad de la Micro, Pequeña y Mediana Empresa), and the Panamanian Autonomous Cooperative Institute (Instituto Panameño Autónomo Cooperativo), it would promote social inclusion and training programs aimed at generating profits in relation to production costs and market prices.

Those institutions, together with the Agricultural Innovation Institute of Panama (Instituto de Innovación Agropecuaria de Panamá), would develop business management skills, provide advice on negotiating prices, and facilitate marketing channels. They would help producers participate directly in regional and national fairs, local markets, and other sales and promotional initiatives. The ministry and the Agricultural Marketing Institute, working with local governments, would support access to municipal and provincial markets through transport and other logistical measures. These actions would prioritize women in hard-to-reach areas or facing multidimensional poverty, historical discrimination, or other vulnerable circumstances.

In supporting sales, the ministry, the Agricultural Marketing Institute, and the Agricultural Innovation Institute of Panama would act as facilitators rather than commercial intermediaries seeking profit. They could not impose charges, commissions, or fees that disproportionately reduce producers’ income. When connecting beneficiaries with third parties, they would oversee transparent arrangements and fair rates. The ministry and the Agricultural Marketing Institute would promote local rural development strategies. Alongside the other institutions named above, the National Women’s Institute (Instituto Nacional de la Mujer) and the National Institute for Vocational Training and Human Development (Instituto Nacional de Formación Profesional y Capacitación para el Desarrollo Humano) would facilitate technical training and specialized assistance in production, innovation, entrepreneurship, marketing, and business management.

The ministry would promote the participation of beneficiaries and their organizations in developing, implementing, and evaluating agricultural and rural development policies, and strengthen their links with local governments. Municipalities would guarantee their access to and representation on Local Development Boards. The Executive Branch (Órgano Ejecutivo) would issue regulations through the ministry within one hundred and eighty days of promulgation in the Official Gazette; the proposed law would take effect upon promulgation. The measures concern agricultural producers, their organizations, and the marketing, training, and rural development sectors.