We are culminating a new year that has been a symbol of perseverance and dedication for Reybanpac. On the one hand, we celebrated 45 years of institutional life that reflect the legacy of our founder, who always pushed us towards excellence, development and unity. As a company we have achieved many milestones throughout our history, and we will continue to reach new goals inspired by our desire to serve our customers and consumers with quality, warmth and in a sustainable manner.
On the other hand, 2022 brought new surprises for the banana agribusiness. While we were still facing the aftermath of the pandemic, the war between Russia and Ukraine caused a new blow that would mark the results of the year. Russia was the main market for Ecuadorian bananas and the war posed the challenge of relocating the fruit to other destinations. At the same time, the increase in agricultural input costs was another variable to resolve throughout the year.
The changes and uncertainties in recent years have been many, but we have remained faithful to our vision and the corporate values that have guided us since our foundation 45 years ago.
With determination and effort we have faced all the challenges. Here I must recognize an important factor that gave us the necessary strength: OUR PEOPLE. I can proudly say that we have a team of committed people, with great capabilities, who have grown with us during these 45 years of existence. Once again I have confirmed that the most important thing in an organization is to be able to bring together the best group of professionals who carry a great work mystique within them. For this reason, I reiterate our commitment to each of our collaborators to continue promoting opportunities to further empower them towards development and let us continue to grow together as one big family.
We have a new year ahead and projects that will bring us closer to our vision. We will work to achieve greater productivity, always maintaining high quality standards to guarantee only the best fruit for our consumers. We will implement technology and innovation programs. We will advance in the achievement of our sustainable development goals by caring responsibly for natural resources, protecting biodiversity, ensuring gender equality and promoting the role of women in agribusiness.
At the same time, we will maintain our contribution to rural communities with quality education through our educational units and technical programs. We believe in the importance of the social role of companies to generate well-being beyond their own circle, and education is the main generator of development and progress.
Our work would not be possible without the constant support of our suppliers and partner producers. I want to express my sincere gratitude to you for the work we have done side by side. I hope that we continue to strengthen our relationships in the years to come.
Finally, I would like to say a few words to our clients around the world. Thank you once again for trusting us. It is a privilege to work for you and share in the mission of healthy nourishing families. We will continue to focus on satisfying the needs of each of your costumers and meeting the new demands of your markets.
We wish everyone prosperity, health and peace in 2023.
Vicente Wong N.
CEO