June 20, 2007
Venezuelan government plans for agriculture

(Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias) - "President Hugo Chávez has announced a nationwide, integral, food mega-project and said that the government will implement new policy, strategies, incentives, support and financing with the aim of improving the quality of life for workers in the countryside.

President Chávez said the government proposes to create a Venezuelan Agricultural Bank and a body to finance and support small and mid-sized loans for farmers.

He also announced the creation of a consulting organization for issues that concern farmers, the installation of several laboratories for livestock raising, progressive reduction of imports and the redistribution of idle lands for production.

Concerning rumours of a possible shortage of food supplies, the President said: 'although there are a structural errors in the economic process of some food products, the authorities are working to solve them.'

He underlined that part of the shortage problem is caused by the Venezuelans' demand, which has been increasing considerably".