The decree empowers the Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal (CENTA) to purchase machinery and agricultural inputs, in order to sell them to producers at affordable prices and use them in their crops. The provisions also provide for the purchase of laboratory equipment for soil analysis to identify crop pests.

The deputies endorsed that, once CENTA finalizes the purchase, the board of directors will have to determine the price at which the inputs and machinery will be sold. In addition, it will have to define the moment in which these will be placed and the quantities that will be sent to the market and agricultural producers.

Among the products that the institution will be able to market are insecticides, pesticides and fertilizers. All the merchandise will have a lower price than that marketed by agroservices.

The legislators explained that the amendments to the regulation are necessary, indispensable and emerging in order to provide the country with sufficient agricultural inputs that will allow to influence favorable prices to the consumer and thus contribute to guarantee the food security of the population in general.

The objective of the regulation is to guarantee agricultural producers the supply and commercialization of agricultural products at a favorable price, specifically to save money, explained Deputy Saúl Mancía.

Translated by: A.M