More than 860,000 agro workers in Peru have moved out of poverty between 2012 and 2014, thanks to the government’s contribution to agricultural activity, Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Juan Manuel Benites reported.
During his speech before the Congress Budget Committee, Benites informed that the poverty rate over that period fell by 47.3% as the government invested greater resources in the agricultural activity.
Among other agriculture sector achievements, 2014 agriculture financing increased to S/.1.3 billion (about US$403 million) with a default rate of 2.9%, after it stood at just S/.152 million (US$38.4 million) in 2009 with a default rate of 6.3%.
Moreover, Benites underlined that in the 2011-2014 period, agro exports became Peru’s second largest source of foreign currency with an annual average export income of US$4.72 billion and an average annual growth rate of 17%.
(END) JJN/JJN/RMB/MVB
Published: 10/20/2015