Eduardo Zegarra about Minister Manero: “He is there to make lobby for transgenics and agro -exporters”

The agricultural sector was recovered in 2024 after the low production levels shown during the economic recession of the previous year. However, the Grade researcher Eduardo Zegarra He warns that this growth does not benefit agrarian producers, who have suffered the loss of their crops due to droughts and water crisis in the north of the country.

In the following interview with the Republic, the economist analyzes the management of the Ministry of Agrarian Development, addresses the problem of the mango oversupply and the legislative initiatives of the congress that seek to benefit large agro -exporters and the business of transgenic seeds.

The Midagri reported an agricultural growth that amounts to 4.9% during 2024 compared to the similar period of the previous year. This is explained by the performance of the agricultural and livestock subsector, in the midst of better climatic conditions. What is your balance on the sector in the year that happened?

“Performance has been very marked by the best climatic conditions.” There has not been a growth issue for better specific policies or measures. This is basically a sector that, in 2023, had a 4.1% drop due to climatic factors. But in 2024 there is a recovery. However, agricultural prices have fallen a lot and in the end this growth does not end up benefiting agricultural producers.

—The 2024 was also marked by droughts that affected regions of the Sierra Norte and evidenced problems related to the water crisis. What should be the measures to guarantee water security in the country?

– It is already common for us to have adverse climatic events every year. These droughts, floods or temperature alterations seriously affect agricultural production. In this 2024, there was little rain in the northern part of the country and that had some effect in the second semester. In general, we are in a context in which the issue of water in the country is handled very badly. The National Water Authority, instead of being an autonomous body, is subject to agro -export interests.

– From the National Board of Water Users Organizations of Peru, they have been demanding the change of the head of Midagri, Ángel Manero, and the head of the Ana, José Musayón. Does this approach agree?

– What I propose is that the National Water Authority has to leave the agriculture and must be a multisectoral authority. It is the most important change we have to do to get out of the crisis of poor water management. Apart from ESO, Minister Manero has appointed questionable characters in the ANA and there are suspicions that these authorities do not regulate very serious problems such as the overexstraction of water in the Valley of Ica.

—In relation to this issue of the mango oversuits and the protest of farmers for the absence of a contingency plan to avoid crop losses, how to face low agricultural prices and high volatility?

“There are several problems there.” One quite complicated is that the Ministry of Agrarian Development hires catastrophic agricultural insurance every year with a budget of S/100 million. This insurance gives some producers affected by an event a figure of S/800 per hectare, after going through an evaluation process. But when we look, from S/100 million, how much is ending up moving to the affected producers? This amount does not pass from the 70 million. That is, these companies are staying with S/30 million. Of the total farmers who have had a total loss, only 30% received some kind of compensation. Now, we see the mango crisis with producers that lose s/10,000 or s/15,000. In this case, they have no right to any compensation because it is not covered by insurance. I think you have to do an immediate review, since it is a huge expense that Midagri has.

“And on top of, Minister Manero invokes farmers not to sow mangoes for three more years …”

“The minister seems not to understand the cause of problems.” When he goes out to say that he must stop sowing mango for three years, he assumes that the problem has been the quantity, the sown mango area. The problem has been climate. That is, the mango trees last year had low production due to temperature issues and it was known that this year they were going to produce more than normal. Due to lack of water, the production of three main regions that began to produce in November, December and January were superimposed. That generated an overoferta and led to a catastrophic drop in the price. Now, they are paid 30 or 40 cents per kilo, when the cost of production is 70 or 80 cents per kilo. I estimate that mango producers have lost S/60 or S/70 million.

—In an interview, Minister Ángel Manero said in favor of attracting new investments with the approval of the Chlimper 2.0 law. How is the scenario configured for this law initiative that gives tax benefits to large agro -exporters?

—The so -called Chlimper 2.0 law is waiting to be voted in the Permanent Commission. Obviously, they are waiting for the best moment and go unnoticed in Congress. This is a tax gift of S/21,000 million to the agro -exporters. It should be noted that investments are not promoted through tax exemptions of this type. MEF himself reported that, in 2023, these companies had an increase of more than 70% in their profits. The truth is that the minister is practically a lobby for a small sector of large agro -export companies.

—Continating with more legislative proposals, a group of congressmen have met with the head of Midagri to analyze the scope of the project that seeks to cancel the moratorium on the entry and production of transgenics. Immediately, agrarian guilds have expressed themselves against this initiative. Does the position of social organizations coincide?

-Yeah. There is no agrarian guild that supports this type of measures. The only sector that would benefit is the transgenic seed business, which is a small group of importers who do not care at all the serious risks that this implies for the biodiversity of our country. At this point, we see how insistently these sectors make lobby to repeal a very important instrument, which is the moratorium of transgenic seeds.

—What implications would have the introduction of these transgenic seeds to Peru?

—The background is the loss of biodiversity in the long term. Eye, that these are irreversible processes, to which the precautionary principle is applied. Something very complicated is at stake: once transgenic varieties are introduced through pollination and movement of genetic material that occurs in a territorial space, contamination occurs. Then, we would be going to a situation where several crops would begin to enter into the risk of genetic erosion by transgenics. It is time for Peru to differ, we have nothing to win by putting this carousel of the transgenic business.

– In response to this initiative, various agricultural organizations have announced a bill to protect native seeds and traditional systems. What do you think of such a proposal?

“It seems to me that it is a very good initiative.” Let’s see what President Claudia Sheinbaum has done. She has sent a project to the Mexican Congress to prohibit the planting of transgenic corn. We have to give our biodiversity a very high protection. And that also happens to protect those who handle, produce and exchange seeds by traditional methods, which are fundamental in the protection and preservation of the genetic material of our seeds.

—What should be the priority agenda of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation for this year?

“I don’t expect a lot from this government in agrarian matters, but I would aspire to the fact that, at least, a space to boost basic things is opened.” You need to pay close attention to water management. I believe that you have to work on some measures to increase access to technified irrigation by producers. In addition, the possibility of accessing credits and insurance should be strongly expanded. We have seen a totally incompetent midgri to face problems such as drought in the north and mango oversupply. In addition, the price of the potato has come to the ground. Practically, the minister is there to boost and make lobby for transgenics and agro -exporters. Basically, he has not raised any measure to help the more than 2.2 million family farmers.

Poverty and economy in 2025

“Minister Manero said last year that” in Peru he did not go hungry because in every corner he ate bluntly. ” How is the panorama for food security?

—The figures indicate the opposite of what Minister Manero sought to say. The most serious was the report issued by the FAO, in which it was pointed out that more than half of the population was with food insecurity problems. In addition, we have clearly seen the increase in childhood anemia, the increase in caloric deficit in recent years and poverty. All indicators are clear in which the food security of the Peruvian population has deteriorated.

—The government announced a change in poverty measurement indicators. Now, the INEI will evaluate multidimensional poverty through an index and a control board with indicators. What do you think of this measure?

“It is always worrying that a government like this tries to manipulate the figures.” It would not be the first time. Recall that when the poverty report was going to come out, it was ordered that it does not come out. I would say that the Government does not try to get into and manipulate poverty figures, because that would put us in a total alert situation.

—In one of his latest statements, former Minister of Economy José Arista estimated that poverty should decrease between 1.5 and 2 percentage points with the recovery of the economy in 2024. What do you think of this projection?

“It seems to me that it is totally inappropriate for a government minister to project or announce poverty figures. I think it is a bad practice and that the process by which the poverty figures that will announce the INEI in May will be generated should be respected.

—Our economic growth capacity around 3% rates limit poverty reduction?

—Thely, it has been seen that only with rates of more than 5% there is a clear impact on poverty reduction. But now, even growing only 3%, we have the problem that the purchasing power of the population has fallen in recent years by inflationary processes and the deterioration of remuneration. The last increase in RMV was ridiculous, did not cover even 40% of the loss of people’s purchasing power.

—What do you think of the profile of the new Minister of Economy, José Salardi?

“I am quite skeptical about your ability to do something significant for the economy.” MEF has lost power and control over budget decision processes, as well as in tax matters. That he wants to boost investment through app, it can be. But that is an instrument that requires broad confidence of investors. Unfortunately, the country is with high citizen insecurity. It seems to me that there are little chances of having a better economic year.