The National Government will invest a total of 2.8 billion bolivares fuertes (US$ 1.3 billion) in agriculture for Venezuelan producers in order to increase the production of some products.

The information was issued on Sunday by the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, during his weekly program “Aló, Presidente”, held in Apure State.

President Chávez recalled that in 1998 the agriculture financing of the nation was almost zero and now the Government has been recovering it progressively.

Furthermore, he pointed out that the demand of meat could be reached by local producers in 2012.

In this sense, the Minister of the Popular Power for Agriculture and lands, Elías Jaua, stated that, nowadays, the country is producing 2 million heads of cattle and they expect to produce 3 million heads of cattle in 2012, which represents 620 thousand tons of meat a year.

Nowadays, Venezuela produces 433,000 tons of meat and the Government expects to cover the demand of this item in order to reach a balance between production and consumption.

Mr. Jaua stated that studies on meat demand were carried out taking into account the international standards of 120 kilograms per capita a year, “but obviously with a revolution promoting the demand, maybe we will be short by then (2012)”.

In this regard, President Chávez said that in 2015, if they hold an organized work, the country should be 20 per cent over the consumption parameters established by international institutions.

“And, in 2020, Venezuela should be exporting meat. Many countries have requested us to sell them meat, but we cannot do it now. Iran has asked us to export them meat. They are big consumers, but they do not have Apures llanos, for example”, he pointed out.

Regarding milk production, Minister Jaua stressed that his Ministry expects to jump from 1.7 billion liters produced nowadays to 4.25 billion liters in 2012, which represents an increase of 200%.

Bolivarian News Agency (ABN)

http://www2.minci.gob.ve/noticiaingles.asp?num=1471