Chavez Frias goes full steam ahead with his "grow veggies" campaign 

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

President Hugo Chavez Frias continues to push his "grow vegetables" campaign inaugurating another organic garden based on hydroponics in Caracas downtown Parque Central. "In a short time people will be able to come here to buy a cheap  kilo of tomatoes because the middleman has been cut out and there are no transport fees to add to the price." 

The President says he hopes to have 1,000 hectares of organic, hydroponic, "intensive gardens" and family plots in the Caracas region operative and producing this year.  The first garden started is in Fuerte Tiuna barracks and the President says he wants to see gardens in every Caracas barrio. 

• The opposition came under fire for poking fun at his countryside "conuco" (garden) for every peasant program and other DIY schemes. 

Agriculture & Lands Minister Efren Andrade forecasts harvests of 50 tonnes a year under the new scheme.  Chavez Frias has thanked Cuban experts and the UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) representatives for the technical and financial aid.