Every year about one million tons of panela are produced, with a value of $ 3.2 billion colombian pesos. This makes the panela agroindustry one of the most important for Colombia.
Due to its great impact on the economy, the environment and society, panela is an industry with many opportunities. In fact, it generates employment for 350,000 families linked to the cultivation and processing of sugar cane.
Similarly, there are large projections on the export of this product, since 12,000 tons were exported in 2020, and it is expected to reach 15,000 tons exported by the end of 2021, representing a growth of 300% compared to 2015.
It should be noted that panela is a product of interest for international markets such as the United States, Spain, Italy and Germany due to the trend of consumers to seek quality products, with nutritional properties and a commitment to sustainability.
However, the panela industry also has various challenges that it must overcome. One of them is the volatility of prices, since there are periods of fair prices, followed by periods of low prices, negatively affecting regional economies, generating instability in the business development of small and medium-sized panela companies and deepening social debt with rural families.
Another challenge is the environmental, social and economic sustainability, since actions are still needed to promote job formalization, boost social mobility and reduce the environmental impact.
At Heincke, we are aware of these challenges and opportunities. That is why our activities are aimed at giving rural families access to credit facilities, guaranteeing financial stability and facilitating labor formalization. At the same time, we are concerned about sustainability and economic profitability. We are convinced that giving more benefits to rural producers is a way to revolutionize Colombian agriculture. We invite you to be part of the change.
Source:
Español de Colombia 
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