Electric Baby Bottle Washer

Low prices, poverty and neglect affect farmers

coffee gets bitter

Since May the Government knew that there would be a shortfall of grain production falling

Katie HERNANDEZ

khernandez@el-nacional.com

consume in Venezuela 1.8 and 2 kilos of ground coffee per person each year. The habit of drinking this drink is common in most households in the country: long and short brown, Guayoyo, bottle, milk, black, and carajillo Cerrera (mixed with rum) are some of the preparations. Even instant presentations and begin to conquer iced coffee taste of the population.

In recent years, the cultivation of this crop has suffered like other products of a pricing policy to offset the real cost of production.

even over 3 years (from 2005 until late 2008) the price was frozen at 288 Bolivars per quintal (bag of 46 kilos), while in the international market is trading above the 700 and 1,000 Bolivars. The price is set between 405 and 470 Bolivars, but producers say that to achieve profitability should cost over the 600 strong bolivar, and pound the ground product should be in 26 bolivars to minimum consumer.

producers and manufacturers recognize that this Government has invested over 2 billion Bolivars to strengthen the crop. However, state that in practice the Plan called Café did not achieve its result and failed because resources were without technical assistance, monitoring and control.

Most of the cooperatives which were awarded funding are broken, many turned to other crops and economic activities, while the real producers are in the neglect, suffering from health problems like malnutrition and were waiting on the materialize the promises of schools, clinics, homes and paving, as the case of Santa Marta village, parish and Hilario Luna Luna, Lara state Morán municipality. "Despite being the showcase village Café Plan, looks completely abandoned, no houses were completed or, neither the school nor the neighborhood module inside. The families live in utter poverty, many people are sick and malnourished. No services public, the light goes frequently. Coffee prices do not cover 50% of production costs and many farmers are broke, "complained Maximiliano Pérez, president of the National Association of Coffee Growers of Venezuela.

The Government's goal with Coffee Plan, conceived in 2004 by the then Minister of Agriculture, Arnoldo Marquez, was to achieve an output of 3 million quintals and that the return pass of 6.6 quintals per hectare to 17.5 in 4 years, with an initial investment of 882.1 million Strong Bolivars (ex billion).

also intended to raise the planting and renovating the plantation: "Keep cultivated 135,000 hectares, 15,000 hectares renew and found 50,000 new hectares, and 5,000 of these organic coffee for three years in 15 states," stated the plan presented by Marquez . Changes in the ministry and government decisions made this plan happen to be led by then Ministry of Popular Economy, chaired in 2005 by Elias Jaua. While on the one hand it was financing, the price of the item was obsolete and could not provide subsistence farming families. "This has been the Government that has invested in the sector, there has been a lot of money but has not been controlled or monitored, and then we wonder where is the money is actually invested?, Where cooperatives are and roasting?, that does not exist, "said Rosa Santoromita, representing the Union of Coffee Growers of Merida, who argues that the problem of the sector has always been the lack of a profitable and sustainable price. "The important thing is that as producers we can get enough income to cover costs and ensure the basic needs as human beings deserve. But without a good price the farmers are in poverty, in decline, give up the cultivation and many migrate to the cities. "

recently returned to the Café Plan held by the Ministry of Agriculture, but the producers have social problems and economic production are reflected in increasingly distant to the target of 3 million bushels. The producers and the industry indicate that in the 2008-2009 harvest was only able to produce 1.1 million quintals (40,000 tonnes) and there is a shortfall of between 300,000 and 500,000 bushels to meet the demand until October, when the other begins collecting.

For its part, the Government maintains that there were more than 1.6 million bushels which were harvested for production of 72,000 tonnes. "We are half way to achieving the goal of Coffee Plan," said Vice Minister of Agricultural Economics, Richard Canan. Occupation, a week ago, companies Fame of America and Marcelo y Rivero that commercializes Café Madrid, El Penon and Aroma, sparked debate on the item. On the one hand, the government accuses these industries to be complicit in smuggling extraction of 10,000 tonnes to Colombia and on the other hand, indicate that companies involved in illegal trade practices and that the only problem I have is the lack of raw materials for processing. Although the temporary occupation will last 3 months, President Hugo Chavez sought to prepare the study for the expropriation, culminating after the intervention. In his view, these companies have created a monopoly to have 80% market share of coffee processing. "It will be by the state, at the hands of the people," he said. Looking for culprits. The fall in production, the failure of the goals of the Café, the loss of resources, low economic returns of growing social problems faced by farmers, illegal trade of grain that is sold twice in Colombia, and latent threat processed product shortages on the shelves, I had to have a scapegoat. The Government's response was to intervene between the night of August 2 and the morning of Monday, 3 plants of Fame of America and Marcelo y Rivero. "These companies bought up to 3 to 4 times more coffee than they needed, leaving a small roasting without the product and now say they have no raw material for processing, this is like a little game and no one says where is the coffee. We have serious presumptions we can not say which of the companies, but at some level in the chain, there is a coffee-smuggling policy toward Colombia ", reported the Agriculture Minister Elias Jaua. He said he constantly these companies and some producers have tried to blackmail them to authorize an increase of 36 Bolivars per kilo of coffee grounds, which is regulated in Bolivars 18.17. Although initially blamed hoarding industries green coffee, the government's decision to provide part of the strategic reserve quintals showed that indeed there is a shortage of raw material. A crisis warned. The Ministries of Agriculture, Food and Trade and the Vice President's Office have several reports from the coffee processing industry since January this year, which warned that production was defective and had to take measures to prevent the grain will be gone from August. Constantly, the industry delivered to the Superintendencia de Silos, storage and warehousing (SADA) weekly reports of how much was being processed and how much product was in stock and raw material grinding. Annually requires more than 1.6 million quintals (46 kilos sacks each) to help meet demand for the product, which is of 139,000 quintals per month. One of the reports submitted to government in May said that since late 2008, warned that the harvest would fall about 20%, and therefore ordered the Superintendent of Silos to establish a commission to track the situation. The figures in this agency in late April had indicated that an inventory of 653,851 quintals, and of these 342,916 quintals were held by private companies. That number reached only for two months. By that time, Café Venezuela, company Corporacion Venezolana Agraria, belonging to the State, was 78,517 quintals, and an unidentified group of processors handled 219,000 bushels, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. On the other hand, the ministry stated that between May and August 101,000 quintals would be collected in the field were outstanding. Representatives of the Venezuelan Association of Industrial Coffee, which brings together the large processors, and Asicaf, which joins the small and medium industries, disagreed with both the 219,000 quintals who allegedly drove a group of companies, as the slopes to harvest 101,000 bushels. It warned in May that 70% of SMI would be out of green coffee to process and market would be out in 15 days. The latest report August Asicaf roasting reveals that 11 are paralyzed by lack of raw materials. In a letter sent to ministries and vice president, Ramon Carrizales, be warned of this problem. "The situation as presented above is of the utmost gravity. Responsibly they report that urgent measures are not taken, we have a situation of imminent supply crisis during the months of August September and October, and we estimate that the current shortage of green coffee can be in about 500,000 quintals, "said industry.

longstanding problem

Cup served in smuggling

producers and entrepreneurs indicate that the problem of smuggling of coffee is recurrent in the country, due to low domestic prices paid for the crop (Bs F 470 per bag), while in Colombia it has been listed up VEB 2,000 per quintal in recent months. But it is impossible to show that 10,000 tonnes of product will no authorities as National Guard and the Superintendent of Silos, which issues guidelines for mobilization, have not noticed. "Smuggling is a reality and do not understand how we come to discover up. Who guards the border?, Because in the words of Minister Jaua went 10,000 tons, that's not at the bottom of a briefcase, but in tractor trailers and must be people with much influence. This makes you look bad to the Ministry of Defense, "said Rosa Santaromita, producer of Merida. Not justify the illegal trade, but caution that has not been met as agreed at the national coffee board 2004 where it was decided that each year September 15, the price of grain is in line with inflation for ensure sustainability of the area.

The

said "We need to have coffee every morning, because if we do not alter and irritate us, ie a change in behavior, and the capitalists know that and blackmail with the theme of coffee every year, "Eduardo Saman Min-Commerce

The figure
1,500 tons of coffee are imported from Brazil. Since 2004, the neighboring country was not selling the grain to Venezuela, said the Brazilian Agrarian Development Ministry