Covid-19 and food security | In Colombia, the health crisis is exacerbating the inequalities between small- and large-scale producers
date: 19/05/2020
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When the epidemic arrived in Colombia, the government was particularly quick to act to support the agricultural sector in the face of the health crisis. In particular, it took steps to make it easier for farmers to move around by giving them passes. In late March, it launched a 1.5 billion-peso credit scheme, "Colombia Agro Produce" , to support agricultural operations, particularly seed and input purchases. The scheme offers a preferential interest rate to smallholders of 3.5% compared to 4.5% for medium- and large-scale producers. It subsequently abolished customs duty on maize, sorghum and soybean, in the hope of compensating for the significant devaluation of the peso over the past year, which was accentuated in March. That devaluation has naturally driven up the price of imported agricultural inputs.
Full text available here: https://www.cirad.fr/en/news/all-news-items/articles/2020/science/covid-19-food-security-colombia