The shortage of dollars He turned his attention to the agro-industrial sector, a sector with a well-oiled machinery for generating foreign currency.
However, to achieve greater impact, the The agro sector noted that it is necessary to increase production, which was affected by climatic events.particularly the supply of corn and soybeans, an aspect that may affect the value of exports.
From the National Chamber of Oilseed Industries of Bolivia (Caniob) they noted that the oil sector maintains the liquidity of foreign currency in the country, Since the export dollars from soy derivatives entered Bolivia normally through the private banking system.
In 2023, according to the Bolivian Institute of Foreign Trade (IBCE), with data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), Food exports amounted to US$565 million, of which US$350 million corresponded to the agroindustry.
However, due to drought, the projections of Yields were lower in the summer soybean crop and very low international price values compared to last year, which will result in a lower volume of foreign currency entering the country.
Given this scenario, the use of new biotechnological events is urgent. Fernando Romero, President of the Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers (Anapo), He stressed the need to complement efforts with the adoption of improved seed, able to better cope with drought situations and increase productivity.
The Agricultural Chamber of the East (CAO) also expressed the same and stressed that it is necessary to incorporate different genetically improved seeds. to increase production and that is a concrete alternative to generating more foreign currency.
In this context, from the Government announced their willingness to discuss the issue and promoted a series of meetings with agriculture, such as those of August 17 and August 27 and another at the beginning of September.
At the meeting, different technical and legal aspects were addressed and the following were put on the table: Two possible alternatives for the country to fully enter into the use of biotechnology: start from scratch, the Executive’s proposal, or move forward with what already exists, the agricultural option.
From inside
It was learned that in the different meetings The position of both sectors was an obstacle to moving forward more smoothly.
The need for Government to be certain that by allowing new biotechnological events, it would not cause damage to health and the environment was a constant, something that was observed from the agricultural sector, when considering that the new events have already been in effect for a year in different countries in the region and have not caused harm to the health of their population or any negative impact on the environment.
“There is very little progress. The obstacles are more of a focus and administrative issue. They do not want the full potential of biotechnology to be used. We hope that a technical approach prevails over a political one, where other things are considered and the issue of productivity is not taken into account, an aspect for which these meetings are being held,” reflected an agricultural source.
One aspect that disconcerts the productive sector is the double discourse that the Government uses.because on the one hand it speaks of the importance of increasing food production and He then specifies that the use of biotechnology will only be for the production of biofuels.
Thus the Minister of Rural Development and Lands, Yamil Floresclarified that the Government plans promote the use of biotechnology in the country, with an initial focus on biodiesel production.
The authority stated that, in a first stage, “The push for biotechnology will be directed exclusively towards the production of hydrocarbonsin this case biodiesel.”
While reiterating that not only the technical data must be evaluated, but also the health implications and the necessary procedures, especially with regard to human and animal consumption.
However, the same authority said that the president, Luis Arce will call the CAO to a new meeting in the coming days, in which advances in the application of biotechnology in the country will be made known.
He added that they are in Analysis of four events for the use of improved seeds that are related to cotton, soybeans, sugar cane and wheat.
Flores pointed out that is working on the cotton issue due to the requirement of businessmen, “on the subject of soy, sugar cane and “of wheat, we are looking at the possibilities that exist for these crops.”
Regarding corn, the minister explained that it is a special issue, because it is “restricted by the Constitution, by two laws; Therefore, it is an issue that we as a Government cannot venture to make decisions quickly, because we can make mistakes,” Flores stressed.
The Association of Corn and Sorghum Producers (Promasor) He reiterated that it is urgent to implement biotechnological events that allow increasing corn production in the country, in the face of climatic challenges that have seriously affected the sector.
The corn farmers noted that Grain is a key input for other sectors such as poultry, pig and dairy farming, and that its scarcity can cause a deficit in the supply of these products and that “the best option is to have new events that guarantee grain for the domestic market and not have to resort to smuggled grain that comes from Argentina and is genetically modified corn.”
“The final conclusions They will indicate whether there is political will to support one of the sectors that can contribute a significant amount of dollars. or that these meetings were simply a formality, when in reality everything has already been defined,” observed another source from the agro-industrial sector.
