Venezuelan food supply getting huge boost with Colombian exports
An immediate $600-million increase in farm exports from Colombia to Venezuela announced this week could help bail out two presidents who are mired in political problems tied to food and farming.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Thursday that the initial shipments of Colombian beef, powdered milk, cooking oil, margarine and eggs — all scarce items in supermarkets here in recent months — will begin arriving next week to help create a three-month reserve of foodstuffs.
Venezuela will hold elections Dec. 8 for all mayors and city councils in which scarcities as well as recent electricity blackouts and the high crime rate are certain to be issues. The government is under pressure to improve living conditions for Venezuelans, who have been hit by a 30% annual inflation rate and food prices soaring even more.
In Bogota, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos also announced the deal Thursday, saying it was just the start of a program that would raise annual shipments of his nation's farm products to Venezuela by 20%.
http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-venezuela-woes-20130914,0,2812220.story
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