Venezuela’s Chávez launches New Agricultural Mission

[The Vegan Marxist]

http://venezuelanalysis.com/files/imagecache/block_node_images/images/2011/01/1295987913011map6562w.jpg
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez during a visit to worker-
controlled agricultural lands as he announced the ‘Law of
Attention for the Agricultural Sector’ and ‘Mission Agro-
Venezuela’ (Prensa Presidencial, Miguel Ángel Angulo).

Venezuela’s Chávez uses Legislative Authority to Help Rural Producers, Launch New Agricultural Mission
By JUAN REARDON - VENEZUELANALYSIS.COM

Mérida, January 27th 2011 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez this week used his legislative authority to establish the ‘Law of Attention for the Agricultural Sector’ and to create a brand new social mission: Misión Agro-Venezuela.

Chávez announced the new law and what he called one of his “bicentennial missions” on Tuesday during a televised visit to the Unit of Socialized Agricultural Production (USP) ‘La Productora’, in Portuguesa state.

Chávez called ‘La Productora’, “an example of what is to come” as he surveyed the 333 (822 acres) hectares of bean crops, 250 hectares (617 acres) of sunflowers, and 2.5 hectares (6.2) of tomatoes managed under worker-controlled socialized production. Another 46 hectares (114 acres) are managed in cooperation with the ALBA Poultry mixed enterprise.

The objective of the new law, according to Chávez, is to “integrally attend to the producers, campesinos, and fisher peoples negatively affected by the torrential downpours that took place during the final quarter of 2010.” According to Agriculture and Land Minister, Juan Carlos Loyo, over 65,000 hectares (160,550 acres) of farmlands were negatively affected by the rains.

The law stipulates, among other things, the restructuring, that is, the partial or total forgiveness, of debts accrued by the rural producers most affected by last year’s record-setting rains.

“How are they supposed to pay [their debts] if the winter took their harvests or took their little animals, their goats, their cows?” asked Chávez rhetorically.

According to Venezuela’s Ministry of Land and Agriculture, priority for debt restructuring will be given to any and all producers of “crop types [grains, fruits and vegetables] that are of strategic importance to food sovereignty.”

On Wednesday, representatives of Venezuela’s opposition-dominated National Confederation of Agricultural Producer Associations (Fedeagro) and National Federation of Cattle Ranchers (Fedenaga) acknowledged to the media the importance and utility of the new law for agricultural production in the country.

In a report released earlier this month, Fedeagro affirmed that out of a total 21,154 hectares (52,250 acres) planted in basic food crops, 5,723 hectares (14,136 acres) of production were made unharvestable by the rains. According to president of Fedeagro, Pedro Rivas, there are more than 5,000 producers of vegetables and 2,000 producers of plantains and other fruits that lost their harvests as a result.

The national presidents of both Fedeagro and Fedenaga are outspoken critics of the Bolivarian Revolution and its rural policies, and there are some indications that members of these organizations played a role in the recent torching of National Land Institute’s regional offices in Santa Brabara, state of Zulia. Both organizations deny any wrongdoing.

Mission Agro-Venezuela

As outlined by Chávez on Tuesday, Mission Agro-Venezuela has three main goals: 1) Increase production of staple crops; 2) increase the amount of land under production; and 3) promote and stimulate urban agriculture.

The goal for this year is to increase production of basic food crops to 12 million tons, or 34%, with priority given to white and yellow corn, rice, beans, legumes, and vegetables. The goal for 2012 is to reach 14 million tons.

“I believe, I want and I am certain that we will be able to convert Venezuela into an agricultural powerhouse,” said Chávez.

According to the Venezuelan News Agency (AVN), the first phase of Mission Agro-Venezuela includes a national agricultural census that will allow the national government “to understand in greater details the situation of all producers in the country, so as to fine tune agricultural policy.”

This first phase of the mission begins on Saturday, January 29, the date on which 347 agricultural census stations will be se-up throughout the country. For a two-week period (January 29 to February 15), producers of all sized landholdings are to voluntarily register with the Mission so as to help the government determine necessary changes in policies. In addition, producers can submit requests for additional lands, credit, and technical support.

These census stations are to operate in all of AgroPatria’s (formerly AgroIsleña) agricultural input distribution centers, numerous offices of Venezuela’s Banco Agrícola, or Agricultural Bank, as well as the Plaza Bolívars of across Venezuela’s most agricultural states. The only requirement for participating in the census is a valid ID.

According to Balsamino Belandrio, president of the Bolivarian Federation of Cattle and Agricultural Farmers (Fegaven), “This Mission is going to do a huge favor to the smallholder farmer, and we hope that these policies are strengthened.” “[These policies] work in favor of the smallholders, and they don’t generate bureaucracy,” he said.

As it relates to urban agriculture, Minister Loyo on Thursday committed the national government to opening over 10,000 “points of urban harvest” in cities throughout Venezuela. These sites will be owned and operated by communal councils, or other forms of social organization, and the national government will provide inputs such as seeds, training and market access to encourage their success.

According to Martha Bolívar, president of Foundation of Capacity-building and Innovation to Support the Agrarian Revolution (CIARA), at the start of 2011 Venezuela had almost 2,860 urban gardens in operation supported by 537 urban agricultural technicians.

http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/5962

[pranabjyoti]

I am curious to know whether Venezuela want to apply technologies like hydroponics, aeroponics in urban agriculture. Without that, urban agriculture can not go beyond a certain level.

[The Vegan Marxist]

I am curious to know whether Venezuela want to apply technologies like hydroponics, aeroponics in urban agriculture. Without that, urban agriculture can not go beyond a certain level.

Well, since they're really into technological innovations (http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/metrocable-celebrates-1-year-anniversary/), I wouldn't be surprised in them going into things like hydroponics, aeroponics, etc. I hope they do.

[pranabjyoti]

In that case, I am also curious to know what is the average size of Venezuelan agricultural farms. Are they big enough to apply new technologies? It has been historically proven that small and medium size farms are less productive in respect of labor productivity. In occasion, they may have yielded per hector production more than big farms, but that comes with a price of higher human labor i.e. they are less productive in terms of labor productivity.
To bring real revolution in agriculture, the Venezuelan farms must be big enough so that big machinery can be applied.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Venezuela needs to have state farms, not collective farms. More Alexander Lukashenkos. Less kibbutzim.

[RED DAVE]

Venezuela needs to have state farms, not collective farms. More Alexander Lukashenkos. Less kibbutzim.Do you really think that what Venezuela needs is a capitalist dictator?

RED DAVE

[Die Neue Zeit]

I was referring to his earlier career in Gorodets as the sovkhoz director there.

[RED DAVE]

I was referring to his earlier career in Gorodets as the sovkhoz director there.So what Venezuela needs is a state capitalist director.

RED DAVE

[Die Neue Zeit]

I said that Venezuela needs the sovkhoz model, not some "collective farm" model.

[RED DAVE]

I said that Venezuela needs the sovkhoz model, not some "collective farm" model.And what is that but state capitalism in agriculture, especially as practiced in Belarus in the 1980s?

RED DAVE

[el_chavista]

I said that Venezuela needs the sovkhoz model, not some "collective farm" model.

And what is that but state capitalism in agriculture, especially as practiced in Belarus in the 1980s?

RED DAVE

What would you say Marx beard in mind when he wrote:


8. Equal liability of all to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture. , Sovkhoz or kolkhoz?

Agrarian leader Braulio Álvarez , he himself a survival of the landlords' sicarios (paid assassins) stated in a TV interview that the government is being doing all to democratize el campo (the country land) but a socialist plan for agricultural production is needed yet :ohmy:

[pranabjyoti]

Agrarian leader Braulio Álvarez , he himself a survival of the landlords' sicarios (paid assassins) stated in a TV interview that the government is being doing all to democratize el campo (the country land) but a socialist plan for agricultural production is needed yet :ohmy:
I want to know what is his idea about socialist agricultural production.

[RedSonRising]

This is a good step for food production. The country from what I've read and heard imports too much food, and the high inflation makes the availability of food much more scarce on the market for the average working person. With an agricultural base, basic nutrition will be more available amid the chaotic economy.

[el_chavista]

-see next post-

[el_chavista]

I want to know what is his idea about socialist agricultural production.
http://www.correodelorinoco.gob.ve/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Braulio-%C3%81lvarez-150x127.jpg Braulio Ávarez, survived a sicarios' attack in 2005.
He stressed that one of the challenges in the project is "the integration of peasant movements, for productive action."
Hopefully he refers to socialist planning of production.

[pranabjyoti]

http://www.correodelorinoco.gob.ve/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Braulio-%C3%81lvarez-150x127.jpg Braulio Ávarez, survived a sicarios' attack in 2005.
He stressed that one of the challenges in the project is "the integration of peasant movements, for productive action."
Hopefully he refers to socialist planning of production.
Well, what is his idea about socialist planning of agriculture. I am specifically interested about his idea regarding application of machinery in agriculture.

[Tommy4ever]

The more I hear about Chavez's Venezuela the better my opinion becomes of it. Not so long ago I believed the line that he was just your regular anti-US populist dictator.

[Crux]

The more I hear about Chavez's Venezuela the better my opinion becomes of it. Not so long ago I believed the line that he was just your regular anti-US populist dictator.
I would say, in some ways he still is, but Venezuela is moving in an interesting direction.

[Artemis3]

There is plenty of land for machinery, which is being imported from Belarus, Iran, etc; with technology transfer for local assembly and eventually complete local manufacture. Also imported are the plants and technology for processing the harvest into food production.

[pranabjyoti]

There is plenty of land for machinery, which is being imported from Belarus, Iran, etc; with technology transfer for local assembly and eventually complete local manufacture. Also imported are the plants and technology for processing the harvest into food production.
Glad to know that. But who will be owner of those big, mechanized farms? Farmer co-operatives? Government? Private entrepreneur? The last option will be the worst. The first two will be Venezuelan version of Sovkhoz and Kolkhoz.

[RED DAVE]

Glad to know that. But who will be owner of those big, mechanized farms? Farmer co-operatives? Government? Private entrepreneur? The last option will be the worst. The first two will be Venezuelan version of Sovkhoz and Kolkhoz.Any such in the absence of socialism is a form of state capitalism.

RED DAVE

[Artemis3]

We come from mostly undeveloped private AND State owned large estates; and poor farmers with almost no land to work with.

The thing is in the 20th century, with the petroleum industry, many people left the country to go work in the cities and oil fields. The few poor that remained had to deal with large land owners, most of whom simply moved in the best lands to put fences and do almost nothing with it.

The worst cases were the first to become intervened, thousands of acres abandoned, with a lone house or a few cows here and there, usually accompanied with extreme, near slavery cases of exploitation of man. In most cases the "owners" didn't even own the land legally, just moved there bribing authorities.

So while we have plenty of very good land for farming, the Venezuela of late 20th century had its countryside abandoned in favor of imports. It is therefore urgent to restart agriculture, which is what this "mission" is all about.

Most likely, the remaining owners of unproductive lands will find their turf back to the hands of the State. I believe there are both cooperatives and collective attempts going on in these reclaimed lands, with cases of organized farmers choosing what they believe best. Simillar to recovered factories, sometimes the workers favor State ownership sometimes they favor collective ownership in coop or a mix. Its not like there is a single policy in place, tho the intent is towards collectivization of both work and ownership, there are still forms of traditional capitalism going on, sometimes mixed with State and Private ownership both with and without coops.

State Capitalism looks most closely the current case, intermixed with Private Capitalism, and few but hopefully growing Socialist attempts.

Another issue is Capitalists here are very unproductive and parasitic (even more than usual), they would favor speculating with shares, currency exchange and real estate than investing in agriculture or manufacture (ie. real tangible stuff). This is why you see Chavez calling to them to put their lands into full production, which is near impossible for the remaining large land owners anyway. But the smaller ones, coops or not, could even get help from the State to achieve this goal and left alone as long as they keep producing. Or at least thats the idea...

We'll see how this unfolds... We do need to recover production and achieve complete food sovereignty, then we can export and help ALBA countries first, then Mercosur, Africa, etc. The potential is there, In a gesture of international solidarity, Chavez even offered a few countries (such as Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) land for them to produce food for their own. Yes, there is THAT much land under/unused here, and desert countries need our help, especially extreme cases like this.

[Die Neue Zeit]

And what is that but state capitalism in agriculture, especially as practiced in Belarus in the 1980s?


Any such in the absence of socialism is a form of state capitalism.

Your Cliffite "state capitalism" bogeyman is getting quite tiresome. :rolleyes:

[pranabjyoti]

We come from mostly undeveloped private AND State owned large estates; and poor farmers with almost no land to work with.

The thing is in the 20th century, with the petroleum industry, many people left the country to go work in the cities and oil fields. The few poor that remained had to deal with large land owners, most of whom simply moved in the best lands to put fences and do almost nothing with it.

The worst cases were the first to become intervened, thousands of acres abandoned, with a lone house or a few cows here and there, usually accompanied with extreme, near slavery cases of exploitation of man. In most cases the "owners" didn't even own the land legally, just moved there bribing authorities.

So while we have plenty of very good land for farming, the Venezuela of late 20th century had its countryside abandoned in favor of imports. It is therefore urgent to restart agriculture, which is what this "mission" is all about.

Most likely, the remaining owners of unproductive lands will find their turf back to the hands of the State. I believe there are both cooperatives and collective attempts going on in these reclaimed lands, with cases of organized farmers choosing what they believe best. Simillar to recovered factories, sometimes the workers favor State ownership sometimes they favor collective ownership in coop or a mix. Its not like there is a single policy in place, tho the intent is towards collectivization of both work and ownership, there are still forms of traditional capitalism going on, sometimes mixed with State and Private ownership both with and without coops.

State Capitalism looks most closely the current case, intermixed with Private Capitalism, and few but hopefully growing Socialist attempts.

Another issue is Capitalists here are very unproductive and parasitic (even more than usual), they would favor speculating with shares, currency exchange and real estate than investing in agriculture or manufacture (ie. real tangible stuff). This is why you see Chavez calling to them to put their lands into full production, which is near impossible for the remaining large land owners anyway. But the smaller ones, coops or not, could even get help from the State to achieve this goal and left alone as long as they keep producing. Or at least thats the idea...

We'll see how this unfolds... We do need to recover production and achieve complete food sovereignty, then we can export and help ALBA countries first, then Mercosur, Africa, etc. The potential is there, In a gesture of international solidarity, Chavez even offered a few countries (such as Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) land for them to produce food for their own. Yes, there is THAT much land under/unused here, and desert countries need our help, especially extreme cases like this.
Well, from your post, it seems that the farmers like Kolkhozs and Sovkhozs more than they want to farm the land themselves by using old, traditional method. That's certainly a good sign and I hope they can understand the futility of ploughing lands in old, traditional methods more with progress in agriculture.
Here in China and after 1917 in Russia, the farmers, with a long tradition of old way farming and private property don't want the building of Kolkhozs and Sovkhozs and that unfortunately lead them towards counterrevolutionary activities. Glad to see that this isn't the case of Venezuela.
If what you have said is true, then I can certainly say that Chavez is marching on the way of Stalin and in Venezuela, the peasants are strongly in his favor (a big difference from USSR of 1928).

[Comrade Gwydion]

Chávez called ‘La Productora’, “an example of what is to come” as he surveyed the 333 (822 acres) hectares of bean crops, 250 hectares (617 acres) of sunflowers, and 2.5 hectares (6.2) of tomatoes managed under worker-controlled socialized production. Another 46 hectares (114 acres) are managed in cooperation with the ALBA Poultry mixed enterprise.


Wait.... I read Worker-Controlled Production, and we're trying to figure out wether it would fit mostly in the Kolkhoz or Sovkhoz categories? Typical



On Wednesday, representatives of Venezuela’s opposition-dominated National Confederation of Agricultural Producer Associations (Fedeagro) and National Federation of Cattle Ranchers (Fedenaga) acknowledged to the media the importance and utility of the new law for agricultural production in the country.


I lolled.:lol:

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Any collectivization effort will be successful if the people support it and sufficient training, land and means of production are provided. Stalin and Mao made the mistake of forcing it on people before they had any real consciousness.

Also, what's the alternative to bureaucracy-run institutions, which have their own inefficiencies (Cuba is needing to move to a model like this due to insufficiencies in the old model)?

Anyways, whatever rightwing pundits in America and Venezuela say, Chavez is "socializing" the economy at a more moderate pace than his predecessors without being an outright social democrat, and that may work to his credit.

[ellipsis]

I am curious to know whether Venezuela want to apply technologies like hydroponics, aeroponics in urban agriculture. Without that, urban agriculture can not go beyond a certain level.

Centralized neighborhood permaculture farms would be a better system IMO.

[pranabjyoti]

Centralized neighborhood permaculture farms would be a better system IMO.
Not always. Those technologies don't always need soil for production and can be produced in level even above the ground. Where there is sufficient land available, this may not seem like a problem. But, where there isn't enough land available, this can be better alternative.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Not always. Those technologies don't always need soil for production and can be produced in level even above the ground. Where there is sufficient land available, this may not seem like a problem. But, where there isn't enough land available, this can be better alternative.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but hydroponics and other methods like that take more energy, since you need artificial lighting, etc. Its great for growing something with a hugely inflated exchange value (like cannabis)

[Die Neue Zeit]

There is research and development into more advanced and cheaper LEDs, to take vertical farming from the current warehouse level to the skyscraper level.

[pranabjyoti]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but hydroponics and other methods like that take more energy, since you need artificial lighting, etc. Its great for growing something with a hugely inflated exchange value (like cannabis)
Well, if the source of light is some kind of conventional thermal power or other kind of conventional source, then it's certainly costly. But, with improved solar cells and more efficient LED lighting (thanks to DNZ), they can be much less energy consuming. Moreover, research in now going on regarding use of lenses and reflectors for lighting the interiors with natural sunlight and it's been long proved that in hydroponics and aeroponics, plants can absorb much more light and convert it into food. With specially CO2 enriched environment, growth of plants in hydro and aeroponics is much higher than conventional method of farming.