Agricultural programs in Venezuela and Mexico aim to reduce intermediaries

In Venezuela, the Plan Bodega initiative has expanded in the Pedraza municipality, benefiting 50 communal stores and approximately 2,500 families. The program facilitates the direct distribution of goods from producers and industries to communities, aiming to reduce costs by 40% to 60% and minimize middleman involvement. Nationally, the program has reached approximately 6,000 stores across 14 states, supporting roughly two million families.

In Mexico, the ‘Pequeño Productor’ program has completed its first stage in Durango, training 930 small-scale farmers across 17 municipalities. A collaboration between the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Walmart Foundation of Mexico, and TechnoServe, the initiative aims to connect farmers directly to large commercial retail chains. The training focused on technical agricultural skills, including soil analysis and biological inputs, with a second phase planned to cover legal, accounting, and commercial logistics.