Carlos A. Ramírez B.
Despite the premise born by the deputy to the National Assembly, Freddy Bernal, of generating actions to stimulate national production, in the specific case of coffee, recommending the removal of non-national product from the shelves of shops in the state of Táchira, the requirement is not in accordance with the reality of the national production, according to the statement made to As it is by Diogledy Páez, coffee producer and director of the field in the Confederation of Associations of Agricultural Producers of Venezuela (Fedeagro).
Páez assures that, although the action is ideal for national producers, because “it would help so that the little coffee that is produced could come out at higher prices that stimulates the producer to continue sowing and that, at this moment of fertilization, it can buy the necessary inputs to strengthen this important item ”, however,“ The production is not enough to fill the shelves in their entirety ”.
The director of Fedeagro argues that the prices of the product in the Venezuelan market do not match reality, she asserts that currently a quintal of coffee, which represents 46 kilos, is marketed in the roasters or intermediaries in an amount of USD $ 80 and USD $ 85 , that is to say 50 percent less than what a producer should receive for his harvest. “Sales per transaction should range between $ 140 and $ 160.”
It stands out that the acquisition of fuel, which is now purchased in dollars due to the scarcity in the country, coupled with the increase in agro-inputs, are factors that further affect the production of the item in Venezuela because by resorting to the black market to acquire what is necessary for their crops, the product increases its value.
“In the upper area of Portuguesa a gandola arrives with fuel every 20 days, on average (…) which makes it impossible for producers to carry out the work in the coffee plantations that are permanent during the year.
The reality of the coffee growers is added to that of the Union of Agriculture and Livestock of the Andes (Unagandes), who argue that it is on the verge of a major shortage if the Venezuelan government does not resolve the fuel crisis.
Antonio Escalona, president of Unagandes, adds that more than 1236 products of this union are kept in permanent sessions in the search for feasible solutions to confront the fuel crisis.
«The idea is to place the products in the local market and avoid the transport of food to Caracas, to the central and eastern states due to the multiple problems that the fuel shortage affects the country. In big cities, like Caracas, the shortage of food is beginning to be felt ”.
In Táchira an ultimatum was given
Bernal assured that the proposal taken for the recovery of the item in the region is the ideal one. Hence, it presented lapses to develop the plan that plans to overturn the prices of the product, despite the reality that was conceived with the coffee harvest of October 2020 and January 2021, where only 450,000 quintals of green coffee were produced , a Pyrrhic production classified as one of the worst crops in the history of coffee growing in Venezuela.
«The goal is to recover coffee production in the state of Táchira. I give 15 days to the merchants who bring coffee from Colombia to remove it from their shelves, it is not possible that they are bringing Colombian coffee, which is 10% coffee and 90% beans, which have a smell of coffee, and let’s continue to sabotage the tachirense production ».
With information from As it is.
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