Diario las Américas., 1958-03-29
Know thy
Nei9hborI
BY ANTONIO RUIZ

VENEZUELA = (Continued)
The National Agrarian Institute
takes care also of the establish
ment and maintenance of training
centers for agriculture and cattle
raising, division of large proper
ties, improvement of rural homes,
development of mechanization in
agricultural work, deforestation of
large tracts of land retaining
them for production, establish
ment of irrigation systems in sew
eral parts of the country, the es-
Enlistment of schools, dispensar-
les, cooperatives and everything
that may contribute to raise the
standard of living of agricultural
workers.
On the other hand, the Institute
has made a very substantial con-
tribution to the increase of pro-
ductive zones with the installation
of new irrigation services; has sup
piled equipment for mechaniza-
ton to farmers, and has developed
a vast plan of loans. 1t exercises, at
the same time, beneficial powers
as counselor and protector of farm
people, studies the problem of dis
possess and rent-fixing and inter
venes as friendly intermediary in
the conflicts between owners and
tenants of the land, or with the
middle men and simple occupants.
With the immigration mission
which the Institute supports in
Europe, and with the Inter-guber-
namental Committee on European
Migration, it has been able to Sc
lect more than $4,000 immigrants,
besides those who voluntarily en-
ter the country frequently.
The Agriculture and Livestock
Bank, another autonomous inStitu-
ton under the Ministry of Agri-
culture and Livestock, besides its
functions as provider of credits
for agricultural and cattle raising
activities, is the principal regulat-
ing agency in the country for the
consumers market. Due to this
double finality, the working ele-
ments of the Bank comprise dis
tinct detectives of defense of ma
tional producers and consumers,
in order to prevent on the one
hand that price drops become a
menace to the farmer, and that
excessive price rises may harm the
latter. These coordinated activities
make necessary the presence OF
the bank in all the national cen
tiers of agricultural fishing and cat
tie, raising production, through
an organization with headquarters
in Caracas, and branches in all
the principal cities Of the in
terror, 70 agencies in towns near
est to production centers, and a
network of offices destined to the
purchase of produce. To this ad-
ministrative organization, the
bank adds a system of industrial
establishments of its own, such as
slaughter houses, packing houses,
SilOS and warehouses.
The credit activities of the bank
are dedicated to supply loans on
liberal conditions to agricultural
producers, cattlemen and fisher
men, and the gross of its opera
tons is in supply loans" destin-
ed to meet the expenses of sowing
and harvesting, as well as works
related with cattle raising and
fishing.
In its function as price regulat-
or, the bank maintains an State
guarantee in favor Of producers,
from whom it buys harvests, cat
tie on the hoof and fishing pro-
ducts, in order to avoid excess of
supply, and offers in the market
that may cause sudden price drops.
For this end, it has a complete
transport organization and mod
ri chain of grain storage ware
houses, silos and cold storage facil-
tiles which permit the storage of
great quantities of products to
direct later their convenient dis
tribution in the market.
Spanish Version Paee Z