As consumers pay more for fresh produce, attention is turning to the service provider behind BMDC’s imports. Julio Castillo handles packaging, quality control and shipping for certain products the marketing board imports exclusively. But is that middleman service contributing to higher prices? Administrator Valentin Carillo says BMDC did not hire Castillo. He says the Ministry of Agriculture did.
Valentin Carillo
Valentin Carillo, Administrator, BMDC
“He is a customer.”
Reporter
“Is he the middleman?”
Valentin Carillo
“We don’t have a middleman, we have service provider.”
Reporter
“Is he a service provider?”
Valentin Carillo
“Yes, he is a service provider. He provides the services and we have had various options and this person is the one that has been, to me is very efficient. All of these things you saw, someone has to do, logistics, someone has to look over it.”
Reporter
How was Castillo chosen?
Valentin Carillo
“I don’t know. When I came in, he was already here. He is the person that makes all the logistics in the northern side. From way from Mexico City to Puebla he consolidates and makes sure there are boxes and wrappers and he makes sure that commodity reaches BMDC safe and of good quality. If something happens to those commodities, truck broke down and they stole all the produce, tied up the drive, truck turned over, that is his responsibility, at his cost.”
Paul Lopez
“And he is paid through BMDC?”
Valentin Carillo
“Yes, he is paid a service fee.”
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
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