Coffee cultivation and export in Venezuela San Cristobal region

The coffee industry in Venezuela has been shrinking in recent years. The government encourages coffee cultivation by introducing new varieties and providing loans to farmers. Venezuelan coffee production accounted for more than 7% of global coffee production in the 19th century, but since the discovery of oil in the early 20th century, the coffee industry has been in decline. At present, Venezuela accounts for less than 1% of the world's coffee production.

According to the statistics of the Venezuelan Agricultural Federation, in the 10 years from 1999 to 2009, Venezuela's coffee production dropped from 1.6 million kilograms to 1 million kilograms, a decrease of 37.5 percent, and per capita output dropped from 3.6kg to 1.5kg, a decrease of 58.3 percent.

Before the Venezuelan government imposed price limits on coffee in 2007, coffee production in Venezuela was basically able to meet domestic demand. The government's price-fixing measures have affected the re-investment of the industry, and production has declined. Since 2008, the committee has resumed importing coffee to meet market demand. In 2009, the import volume was 450000 metric tons, and this year's imports are expected to reach 550000 metric tons.

Economic and Trade Office in Venezuela

June 24, 2010

Recently, there is a particularly interesting phenomenon in the Venezuelan Cafe, a state-run coffee chain in Venezuela: the store provides customers with two contrastive price lists. Each kind of coffee here has two prices of "socialism" and "capitalism". In this special way, cafes are intended to show customers the disadvantages of a free market and the benefits of regulating the economy.

At a Venezuelan Cafe in the center of Caracas, Venezuela's capital, the "socialist" price of a large cup of coffee on the menu is 2.5 Bolivar. In addition, the menu lists the "capitalist" price of the coffee sold elsewhere at 5 Bolivar (7.74 yuan). It is said that this is not only to provide discounted coffee to Venezuelans, but also to promote the left-wing politics of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

The cafe's practice has won the support of many Venezuelan citizens, and the queue of guests has been extended to the road. Many people say they would be happier if the cafe offered more cheap coffee. "the cafe is a symbol of national policy and reflects the country's efforts to eliminate exploitation of the poor," said Kristobar Isturitz, a 70-year-old interior decorator who savoured coffee with friends on the patio. "

At the same time, critics argue that the Venezuelan Cafe and other similar measures are just populist gimmicks that mask some of Venezuela's deep-seated economic problems