Ministry of Agriculture reported that the credit line will finance food production

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that through the 'Special Credit Line Strategic Sectors', food production activity will be financed by leveraging resources amounting to 350 billion pesos. Of these, nearly $120 billion benefited 4,117 producers and $230 billion is available.

“Due to the increase in food prices, we have launched a series of actions, including financing, specifically the implementation of a subsidized credit line to encourage the planting of products from the Colombian countryside,” added Rodolfo Zea Navarro, Minister of Agriculture.

Some of the products that have become more expensive are rice, fresh fruits (lemons, tangerines and mangoes), milk and eggs accounted for 20% of monthly inflation. While the largest price increases, during the last year, were potatoes with 110.22%, cassava with 85.14% and bananas with 82.57%.

“It is with Facts that in the Government of President Iván Duque we have already defined a 0% tariff for another 39 food inputs to reduce production costs and contribute to the reduction of inflation, which is a global phenomenon,” the official said on his Twitter account.

He added that “we strongly show our farmers that they can continue to harvest and that 39 of the most important products used in agricultural production will enter the country without tariffs.”

The official stressed that the credit line has been in good demand from producers. During 2022, 4,117 producers have already benefited, who have obtained $119,917 million to develop their productive projects. This means that the remaining $230 billion in credit is available.

The fact is that the resources of $32 billion are prioritized for the primary production of the following crops and products: irrigated rice; poultry; eggs; dry rice; banana; potato; papaya; potato diacol capiro; citrus; cassava; mango; banana; reproduction and sustaining tilapia; sugar cane; reproduction and sustaining native species.

Likewise, the panelera cane; reproduction and sustenance trout; cocoa; reproduction and sustenance cachama; pig sustenance; reproduction and sustenance of shrimp; bovine fattening; reproduction and sustenance pirarucu; oil palm; barley holding bovine barley and head onion.

“With the portfolio of Special Credit Lines, which it made available since the second week of February 2022, 16,809 credits have already been placed for $349,066 million, of which 93% of the resources have been for small and medium-sized producers: 54% small, 39% medium, 7% large,” Navarro explained.

On the other hand, Minister Rodolfo Zea stressed that the Government doubled the budget for Agricultural Insurance for 2022, which means that $80 billion has been allocated, with which the premium will be subsidized to producers.

The official said that the aim is to provide, especially for small producers, a mechanism for protection against climatic risks because agricultural activity has a number of risks.

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