| Ortega studies the possibility of nationalizing Nicaraguan agriculture, according to La Prensa
La Prensa de Nicaragua revealed this Wednesday that the Sandinista government
is studying the possibility of forcing an agrarian reform by means of a
estatización (nationalization) process, with which it, mainly, seeks to assume
control of the production and commercialization of basic grain crops and goods.
The project, called by the Nicaraguan government, "the revolution of the forest and rural farming system", is being contemplated, supposedly, in
a Five-Year Plan 2008-2012 which has been elaborated by the government, that has
only been advised by organizations friendly to the Sandinista
Front (FSLN,), according to documents obtained by the newspaper La Prensa.
"The objective of the plan is to develop
a process of nationalizing the entire productive chain" in which the
government would be in charge. It would control the process "from distributing the seeds to
commercializing farming products", according to the newspaper.
The plan would basically try to fortify organization and support of small and medium producers in order
to guarantee that they fulfill specific goals of production of rice,
kidney beans, maize and sorghum, among others grain crops The daily
draws attention to the fact that in the projections of production,
established by the government in the document, there are no growth
plans, but see, instead, to maintain current levels , with a focused interest to
control commercialization.
The objective, explained in another
point, is to take advantage of the advantages that the Free Trade
Agreement with the United States offers, Central American commerce
and the market that the Bolivariana Alternative offers for the Americas
(WHITE), that Venezuela leads, with other allied governments.
According to the text, the Sandinista government assures, that it will respect and endorse " private
initiative" and the production of export crops like coffee, sesame, sugar cane, bananas and the peanuts. In addition the government states that, at this moment, it will
sustain the economic growth of the country.
President Daniel Ortega has committed to export a great amount of agricultural products and beef to
Venezuela, this year; and to contribute with president Hugo Chavez to face his domestic supply problems. |
