Wards Ap Bio Lab 5 Answers.

Agricultural Drought

Agricultural Drought

The severe drought and low prices threaten the production

Katie Hernandez
khernandez @ the-national. com

The government's promise to turn Venezuela into an agricultural powerhouse runs the risk of getting the file of the goals were not met. While producers recognize some progress as the increase in the loan portfolio and the exemption from income tax, severe interventions such as land, low profitability and droughts that threaten the sector's development.
producers complain that the only solution that has the government when faced with the fall of strategic items to be bulk import, without designing a plan for the medium and long term to reverse the reliance on foreign trade.
Food imports and agriculture products increased from U.S. $ 1.7 billion earlier this Government in 1999 to more than 7.4 billion dollars in 2008, which means an increase of 335.29% and the bill continues to increase. Direct purchases performing state enterprises as the Corporation for Agricultural Supply and Services and Bariven Mercal subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela to supply Pdval holds monthly increases.
The country has become a major buyer of food in the international market. In recent months have boatloads of sugar, livestock, milk, rice, coffee, beans and other items to cover the deficit has on domestic production. These imports are in addition to traditional purchases of wheat, yellow corn, fats and other raw materials not produced in the country.
Some analysts estimate that more than half of the basic basket products are imported. Although the Government acknowledges, the Food Minister Felix Osorio, said recently that thanks to the plan of sovereignty in the sector, it is estimated that in 2014, the country can produce at least 60% of the foods that make up basic basket.

Vulnerable. A report presented by Germain Fedeagro Briceno, president of the Institute of Agricultural Policy of that union, warns that Venezuela has ce more vulnerable from the point of view of food security. "The domestic supply of agricultural raw materials can not meet the demand for basic items of mass consumption and high sensitivity," he says. The report indicates that the gap between production and consumption becomes larger and the dependence on imports to supply the domestic market, besides the recurring difficulties of an international food market very volatile, with an overvalued dollar, without payment of tariffs and subsidies in their countries of origin, conspire against domestic production. Briceño
contends that requires concerted action public and private sectors to meet the challenges of sectoral growth. Explains which factors such as land ownership intervention that affects productivity in the field, coupled with personal insecurity and Vienna, price controls, high production costs and transport and road problems that undermine the agricultural sector and livestock. In most of the items regulated prices affect profitability. Vision

field.

The most critical items in the country are rice and maize by drought is expected to decline in production and a deficit. In addition to meat and milk production has been reduced by more than 50% by interventions of land which joins the decline in sugar cane production.
-Rice: The fall of production and smuggling problems have affected the domestic supply. In the past 18 months have been imported over 540,000 tons of paddy rice to meet local demand. Earlier this year it accused the companies that process the product of hoarding and involved several floors. But the government had to hide the fall in production with new imports. Each week, announcing new product purchases in countries such as Argentina, Ecuador and Guyana.
Domestic production is estimated at 739,500 tonnes (from 2008 to 2009) and rice consumption is 925,600 tons. Over 5 years, the country exported to Colombia between 120,000 and 150,000 tonnes. But now there is even cover domestic consumption. In recent months, the drought has affected the sowing and yields have dropped from 5,000 kilos per hectare to less than 4,000 kilos.
-Corn: Fedeagro recognizes that there has been an increase in planted acres and corn production through 2008. however, argue that because of the severe drought this year's production will drop significantly. Some figures suggest that only managed to harvest 950,000 tonnes of white maize when last year reached 1.2 million tonnes, down of 20.83%. For the first time in 20 years, the government imported 100,000 tonnes of white maize from Mexico when the country was self-sufficient before. In the case of yellow corn production also reported a reduction of 43.3% from 1.2 million tonnes to 680,000 tonnes this year, according to preliminary figures. Traditionally, the country imports the grain mainly for feed industry.
-Sugar: Interventions and the low profitability of the category have made the area planted was reduced from 120,000 to less than 95,000 hectares of cane. Production has fallen by 4 years, 9 million tons of sugarcane to less than 7 million and the Federation National warns sugarcane growers for 2009 and 2010 harvest is delayed, only 6 million tons harvested. This year it imported more than 500,000 tons and by 2010 will require the purchase of between 680,000 and 700,000 tonnes. The producers ask the timely payment of subsidy and a plan to recover more than 20,000 hectares. The answer so far is involved in cane lands and seize power, while still arriving ships Brazilian raw sugar at prices above what it would revive the sector in the country.
-Café: In early 2009 producers and manufacturers warned the Government that the harvest will not be enough to supply the market. Smuggling, the low profitability of the product and the fall in production have conspired to create a crisis in the sector. The deficit was estimated at 200,000 quintals to achieve supply the market.
The government accused the companies of contributing to the smuggling and addressed the roasting Fame of America and Café Madrid. After two and a half months of intervention the government has had to import coffee to supply both plants occupied small roasting as they ran out of feedstock. The Agriculture Ministry refused to recognize that production fell. Meanwhile, producers fear that the 2009 and 2010 harvest began this month is slightly lower than the previous and then generated a production shortfall. The fixed price for a quintal of coffee between 486 and 585 Bolivars not cover the costs of production and profitability problems persist. Farmers now question if the executive controls 80% of the roasters, who will be responsible for the lack of coffee in 2010.
-Milk: 10 years ago production was 61.5 liters per capita per year. Currently, it has fallen to 52 liters per person, representing a drop of 15% according Fedenaga. In 2008 it is estimated that domestic production was 1,470 million liters, while consumption is 3.152 million gallons, so it must be imported per year the equivalent of more than 1,700 million liters. Poor planning of imports has caused the market to become saturated with products from other countries and affecting the placement of domestic milk. producers have asked to be granted the permission when there is decline in domestic production is between January and May, the Government recently approved an import quota on the order of 240,000 tonnes.
-Meat: More than 600 cattle farms operated result in a 50% drop in beef production. 10 years ago, farmers produced 17.4 kilos of meat per person per year, representing 99% of national consumption. This proportion fell to 15.3 for 4 years kilos per person, equivalent to 80% of demand, and for 2009 production is estimated to fall to 7.8 kilos per inhabitant per year, ie 38% of total population. Of 20.5 kilos of meat every Venezuelan consume this year, 12.7 kilos must be brought from abroad. In pastoral areas of interventions are alert and kidnappings. Farmers invest rather than sell the animals to a minimum REDUCING production for fear of kidnappings and the effect of the land.