Venezuela Increases Food
Reserves
CARACAS - Venezuela has 556,300 tons
of food reserves, an expression of a policy
of food sovereignty promoted by President
Hugo Chávez, according to a report of the
Ministry of Agriculture and Lands.
The text says the figure represents 80
percent of the target of 692,000 tons of
food reserves, as part of the policy of the
past 11 years to ensure a better quality of
life for Venezuelans.
According to the report, in 2009 the
foundations were laid for sustainable
agriculture strategically based on a
comprehensive rural development.
As a result, the institution estimated that
96 percent of Venezuelan homes have access
to the basic family basket, while before the
arrival of Chavez presidency the figure was
80 percent.
The report states that in 2009, 980,000
acres of quality land which were idle or
misused were recovered to get to nearly five
million acres rescued in 10 years.
The fishing and aquaculture sector grew last
year almost 100 percent and the public
agriculture investment was equal to 1.60
percent of the GDP compared to 0.13 percent
in 1998. The National Plan of seed
production led to a 6.093 million of
kilograms of certified seeds, that is 33 per
cent over the period prior to Chavez.
In 2009 22 agribusiness plants and eight
farm product-collection centers were opened
and the construction of another 150
agribusiness plants to process milk, coffee,
corn, soybeans, grains and oilseeds started. |
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