Panama - The Agricultural Development Bank (BDA) delivered loans totaling 485,445 balboas to micro and small livestock farmers in the province of Coclé. The funds are specifically for drilling wells to guarantee water supply for cattle during the dry season. The checks were presented to 13 producers from the districts of Penonomé, Natá, and Aguadulce during an Expanded Cabinet Council meeting in Coclé, chaired by the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino. This action is part of the BDA's institutional restructuring process towards the future Livestock Development Institute (IFA). The new institution will focus on providing credit to micro and small producers to boost food production, following President Mulino's guidelines. The vision for the new entity is to promote more effective investments by incorporating technology such as windmills and solar submersible pumps for remote areas without access to the traditional power grid. This will make the projects more sustainable and viable in the long term, for the benefit of the country's agricultural future. The First Lady, Maricel Cohen de Mulino; the Minister of Agricultural Development, Roberto Linares; and the acting General Manager of the BDA, Francisco Mejía, also participated in the event, among other authorities. The head of state affirmed that these disbursements are part of the institution's restructuring program, focused on supporting small producers. In the case of Natá, ten beef and dairy cattle producers will be able to develop drilling projects on their farms, thus facing the drought that affects the Arco Seco region, which includes the provinces of Coclé, Herrera, and Los Santos.
