By Reuters Staff
3 Min Read
CARACAS, April 28 (Reuters) - Venezuelan farmers, manufacturers and retailers on Wednesday pressed President Nicolas Maduro to speed up a plan to resolve shortages of diesel, warning that lack of fuel was threatening harvests and food transport in the crisis-stricken country.
Maduro last week called on his oil minister to present a plan to boost diesel production within 72 hours. Aquiles Hopkins, president of Venezuela’s Fedeagro farmers’ association, said authorities had not contacted farmers and he was not aware of any plan.
“Those 72 hours were up on Saturday night,” Hopkins told reporters, noting that diesel shortages had led to losses in bean and sugar crops due to an inability to harvest. He added that farmers may lack fuel to plant staple crops such as rice and corn, a cycle that should begin in two weeks.