Chiquita Panama completes massive hiring drive to resume farming in Bocas del Toro
Written and reported by Camila Gutierrez | Lee esta noticia en Español
Panama’s Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development (Mitradel) and Chiquita Panama successfully concluded a five-day recruitment event in Panama’s Bocas del Toro province in an effort to restart farming operations in the area.
According to the ministry, nearly 6,000 local residents applied for jobs at the company during the hiring campaign held on Saturday, November 15. More than 1,000 people expressed optimism about reentering the workforce.
Chiquita Panama's return to Bocas del Toro
The initiative comes months after the company halted operations in the region due to strikes that disrupted production and exports. The strike ended on June 11.
In early November, Jackeline Muñoz, head of Mitradel, unveiled Chiquita’s plan to hire 3,000 workers in the initial phase of resuming operations.
“Chiquita Panama has concrete plans to restart operations with a first shipment scheduled for late January 2026, and will begin harvesting bananas in February, which will require an active workforce,” said Labor Minister Jackeline Muñoz de Cedeño.
Jobs during the first stage will mainly require cleaning and maintaining the abandoned banana plants. Later, a second stage will focus on maintenance, logistics, and production, generating 2,000 additional jobs.
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