January 30, 2007
Venezuelan government to triple agriculture budget for 2007

(Venezuelanalysis.com) - "According to Venezuela's Minister of Land and Agriculture, Elías Jaua, President Chávez approved of an additional $800 million for supporting agriculture in Venezuela, which represents an increase of more than triple the currently budgeted amount. Also, Jaua announced that in 2007 over 2 million hectares of land would be 'recovered' for agricultural production and that the volume of agricultural products would increase by 26% relative to 2006.

Jaua made the announcements during a press conference, in which he detailed the government's agricultural plans for 2007.

The increase in spending on agriculture, which will jump from the budgeted $350 million to about $1.1 billion will be used to help finance 270,000 small farmers and 25,000 ranchers. Also, of that amount, $700 million have been set aside for improving agricultural infrastructure, in the form of 4,600 kilometers of roads, so as to help get agricultural products to market. Another portion, $325 million, has been designated for animal and vegetal health.

With regard to the area that the ministry has recovered for agricultural production, Jaua said that in 2006 1.5 million hectares were made available, of which about half is now being cultivated, out of a total of 2.4 million hectares that are now in production. The amount of land being cultivated thus increased by over 40% (from 1.7 million hectares to 2.4 million) in 2006.

For 2007 the government plans on recovering another 2 million hectares, via its land reform program. This way, says Jaua, the government's goal of increasing production from 18 million tons to 23 million tons, or 26% above the production of 2006, can be reached".