Eduardo Mendoza Goiticoa
A new vision for our agriculture
s time goes by, and the crisis currently affecting our
country becomes more critical, more emphasis is placed on the need for a prosperous,
highly productive agriculture, sensibly programmed and efficiently directed. In addition
to ensuring adequate and accessible supply to all socio-economic levels of the society,
such an agriculture must ensure comparable quality and competency, sufficient to
increase the importance of agricultural exportations within our increasing production
levels.
In order to achieve such goals, it is necessary to face the agricultural issue with
a new approach, characterized by adequate planning, efficient management and the
total absence of nefarious improvisations. In addition, there must be an integral
utilization of our current technological resources, whether regarding professional or
qualified labor, as well as the current physical infrastructure, which should be used to
their maximum benefit, and ensure the appropriate usage conditions.
The implementation of such programs supposes the mobilization of money, the
creation of new jobs, the efficient substitution of importations, providing guarantees for
supplies, achieving a broader and better usage of the agrarian structure, rescuing same
from its current stagnation; as well as multiplying the horticultural coops, which are
appropriately under way, and expanding the country's technological platform. We must
rescue ourselves based on useful, successful and productive work in the local
agricultural sector, within a framework of efficiency, prosperity and the urgent need for
social justice.
The start-up of this program, with a view toward transcending theoretical
assumptions and implementing a fast and efficient execution, required progressive and
continuous growth based on specific projects which, as they are developed, will not only
aptly comply with the proposed goals, but will serve as an example for other agricultural
sectors that require similar programs, that may be generated simultaneously and
conjunctly.
In this regard, the first step may be designing a master plan for the competitive
production of raw vegetable-sourced materials for supplying the industries pertaining
to balanced foods, consumable oils, corn flour and textiles. For this, an integral
knowledge of these products is not the sole requirement; there must be knowledge of
the best utilization of the basic factors themselves and their mutual interaction, as in the
case of ecological, technical-operational, social agricultural, political and financial
factors.
These analyses will lead us to chose the tropical species that are most
appropriate for the purposes at hand, as well as locating and defining the most adequate
ecological zones, thus increasing the agricultural panorama in a productive
environment.
Furthermore, operating and filed research must be established and maintained
in order to eliminate enigmas and subjective presumptions, which encumber the
understanding of exigent issues such as production costs, yield per surface unit,
productivity, cost knowledge at the field level, expense margins and desirable operating
profit. All this will allow for the definition of policies based on real knowledge of the
issue, and for effecting timely corrections that may be required before insurmountable
or detrimental problems arise, which could never be solved through Byzantine
discussions, where subjective presumptions degenerate into antagonizing positions.
At the short-term, this procedure will contribute to the creation of regional
development posts, with improved environmental conditions that are more humane and
productive, and that will allow for the establishment of long-life vegetable agrosystems
in duly chosen localities, based on the thesis of Pedro Cunil Grau, presented in his work
"Opciones geográficas de Venezuela" (Venezuela's Geographical
Options).
Based on these perspectives, it is necessary to closely consider a series of valuable
initiatives by Fundación Polar and Unellez, and by Palmaven through the Integral
Development Modules (MIDA), as well as by Universidad de Oriente, Universidad del
Zulia and Universidad Central de Venezuela, in addition to Anca, Fundación Bigott,
Asociación de Ganaderos de Los Andes (Andean Cattle Raiser's Association),
Horticultores de Mérida (Horticulturists of the State of Mérida), Fusagri, Oficina
Técnica Rojas Gómez and other industry representatives. Another example worthy
of mention is Venmaíz, which achieved a total supply of white corn for the
corresponding industry. Similar events are happening in aviculture. This is the time to
establish a fluid system of interconnection, as opposed to the senseless dialog so
frequent up to recently. Agriculture, industry, banking and marketing must constitute
an integral circuit, where the sum of these joint efforts will lead us to new levels of basic
competitiveness, supply and quality. In this regard, the National Economy Council
could play a crucial role, contributing to expedite the process of joint and coordinated
action.
Simultaneously, the active presence of the Ministry of Agriculture is an
indispensable factor for directing and supplementing this positive approach to our
agriculture. In recent statements., Dr. Raúl Alegrett expressed that the M.A. is exerting
great effort to increase cereal, oilseed and leguminous production, by means of a better
rotunda of the services on the field level, and an adequate policy for a better
performance of the agricultural process.
However, the country's agricultural situation has become more serious, and not
due to idiosyncratic reasons, but due to the treatment this sector has received
throughout time. Due to the urgency of the moment, it would be advisable to forget our
past mistakes and focus on the Republic's agricultural development based on a series
of situations that are truly positive, and which were inexistent up to now. In effect, our
current technological resources are exceptional, and never before has Venezuela been
in such an advantageous situation.
In this regard, we must mention that we have yellow corn and white corn hybrids,
with a yield per hectare varying between 6,000 and 8,000 kilograms; sorghum that reach
6,000 kilograms per sown unit; sunflower producing 47 to 52% of oil and up to 1,500
kilograms per hectare; locally produced soy seeds yielding up to 3,000 kilograms. 40
tons of taro are guaranteed, and yucca or manioc has exceeded its traditional yield of
25 tons, since currently 50 to 70 tons are being produced per hectare.
Additionally, there is a spectacular increase in the cereal, oilseed and leguminous
international markets, which definitely benefits our agricultural production, and even
if current customs rates are maintained and para-customs measures are eliminated, such
importations would not affect the placement of our total production in our internal
market. And this does not include the advantage that the industry may obtain from
effecting purchases in bolivars and not in dollars, both for its cash flows as for the
Nation's payment balance. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of new jobs would be
created.
Venezuela is a traditional importer of protein and carbohydrates vegetable
sources, such as soybean, wheat, corn and sorghum. Up to now, the Venezuelan CIF
port prices of these raw materials have been lower than the official prices established
for the local product. Therein lies the reason for the projectionist measures currently
in force.
In this case, during the current year we have found that the perspectives of
increase competitiveness for local agriculture are better than ever, and that there are
extraordinary trends toward increase in international markets for soybean, wheat, corn,
sorghum and sunflower.
For the first time in several years, the forecasts of imported agricultural captions
are at a markedly inferior competitive capacity. Therefore, the gradualist thesis could
be applied to the agricultural sector, in the sense of suspending para-customs measures
in the aforementioned captions, suspending price control for the corresponding
products and for finished goods such as milk, pork, chicken and eggs, oils, corn meal
and cotton.
For this purpose, the following program may be implemented for the 1996-1997
agricultural cycle, including the following:
1. The obligation of the agroindustry to satisfy the total of requirements based
on local production purchases, at agreed prices.
2. Freedom to effect importations during the year of the required goods for
covering any deficit that nay arise in the corresponding captions, by means of an integral
provision of dollars for such importations.
3. Argentina and Brazil have highly developed agricultural machinery industries
whose importation is crucial for modernizing our agricultural machinery lot. Therefore,
it is imperative to include the corresponding clauses in the current ALADI
agreement.
4. Immediately preparing winter, north and summer sowing programs for rice,
sorghum, roots and tubercles, as well as soybean, black beans, red beans and pidgeon
pee.
5. Propitiating triangular harvest purchase contracts, through direct agreements
between the agricultural worker, the industry and the banking entities, in conjunction
with the use of deposit certificates. Storage should be effected in public or private silos,
owned by companies or third parties, that could serve are general deposit
warehouses.
We must also consider the following:
a) Including technical assistance services, computer and data compilement at the
field level in the contracts, in order to determine production costs.
b) Payment of harvest purchase through the issuance of deposit certificates,
which would enable the farmer to practically collect in cash. This system allows for the
company to immediately engage the required monthly purchases of raw materials from
the aforementioned general warehouse, thus enhancing its cash flows. In addition,
there is the possibility of obtaining credits at 60, 90 or 120 days for this purpose, and the
banking entities might credit the above-mentioned certificates in the Central Bank of
Venezuela.
A short-term forecast of the above matters presents positive characteristics that
justify their implementation risk.
The accrued experience, the current technological resources, the human quality
of our population, the possibilities implied and the assets our Nation has accumulated,
enable us to envision a sure and correct solution at the short and mid-terms for this
cluster of agricultural problems. We must not allow these problems to affect the course
of our lives, no matter what sacrifices we may have to endure.
The success of this feasible agricultural development is a basic element for
implementing the geographical options presented by Cunil Grau; that is, the productive
and sovereign occupation of our national territory, the creation of over 300,000 new
jobs and of a positive agricultural commercial balance, as well as an efficient antidote
against informal economy and the ruthless population agglomeration in our cities, thus
strengthening our national identity by the success of these measures and the
achievement of a better life for all.
Should we achieve these goals, we will march under the motto of General
Córdova: "marching as winners", as in Ayacucho. Otherwise, a defeat similar to
Batalla de La Puerta, at the hand of Boves el Urogallo, awaits us.
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