From La Guajira, the Minister of Agriculture, Jhenifer Mojica, announced a new strategy to reach a consensus with the rice union.
It is about achieving the construction of their own grain drying, storage and transformation infrastructures.
For this, the portfolio manager announced the opening of a credit line of $40,000 million aimed at improving rice production.
“This is the agrarian reform, which also contemplates agro-industrialization, which is part of our government program. I have these $40,000 million to put into this purpose,” Mojica said.
The economic resource for rice farmers could be obtained through the Financing Fund for the Agricultural Sector, Finagro and Banco Agrario, which will provide comfortable interest rates with investment guarantees.
As an example of the strategy, the ministry took up a case in Catatumbo, where the first rice cooperative was formed with this infrastructure.
“We want there to be eight more companies like this: farmers, rice growers, who join us to make rice grow,” Mojica pointed out.
However, the rice union for two weeks has exposed several difficulties to face the production of the cereal and the needs of the market.
Among these, the low economic incentive of the National Government for the production of the second half of the year.
A panorama that, through dialogue tables, the representatives of the farmers and the National Government have been analyzing.
According to Fedearroz, rice production is one of the main sources of employment and income in 216 municipalities, therefore, mediating the crisis will guarantee the country’s food stability.