Government to import more food supplies

www.vheadline.com Posted: Friday, January 24, 2003 - 12:52:10 AM By: Robert Rudnicki

According to Agriculture & Lands (MAT) Minister Efren Andrade, the government is planning to import more food supplies as it battles to ensure against food shortages across the country. A list of the products that are needed is currently being prepared, as is an idea of quantities needed.

This latest importation of food will come from neighboring Brazil, which has already come to Venezuela's aid by providing much needed supplies of gasoline, after Venezuela's production was virtually crippled by the opposition's work stoppage, a situation which is now being reversed.

The government has already imported food and produce form Uruguay and most recently from Colombia. Three Venezuelan ships were sent to the Colombian port of Barranquilla several weeks ago to collect over 1,200 tonnes of goods, reported to have cost around $2 million.

Venezuela normally imports around half of its food needs, but this has been hit by the sharp fall in the value of the bolivar as concerns mount over a possible devaluation, and domestic production has also been affected by the work stoppage and the lack of gasoline available for transportation of goods.