The Ollanta Humala administration plans to invest 1.7 billion soles (US$ 609.9 million) for a comprehensive development package to help the population living in the towns along the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM) in south-central Peru.
The announcement was made Tuesday by the Peruvian Agriculture and Irrigation Minister, Juan Manuel Benitez, who noted this initiative is part of the Vraem Intervention Programme for the period between 2013 and 2016.
He stressed the government’s investment program seeks to boost development in the area by implementing several infrastructure projects in core areas such as road infrastructure agriculture and basic services, among others
“Our sector has received the president’s guideline to carry out projects aimed at fostering productive development in the area with focus on switching harvest of coca leafs to more profitable cultivations,” the minister said.
Benitez added, “the government’s financed crop-substitution program will promote high-profitable cultivations such as coffee, cacao and palm heart, among others, thus improving farming families’ quality of life”.
"For instance, in the VRAEM area there are 70,000 coffee yields and around 40,000 hectares of cocoa plantations," the senior government official told RPP.
Moreover, he noted Minagri will work in coordination with producers to carry out this conversion process, through the provision of technical assistance, financing, access to markets, supply of seed.
Likewise, the minister said the ongoing policy not only involves the promotion of alternative crops but also it will continue fight against drug trafficking.
(END) AQR/AQR/LOG
Publicado: 20/5/2014