Micro-Loans to
Farmers
Some farmers in the villages outside Piura own land, but
are so poor that they cannot afford to buy seeds and plant
a crop of either rice or cotton.
Each year, the Social Ministries committee makes $5,000 available from the parish tithe for micro-loans to farmers.
To the left are some of the farmers who assembled to hear about the micro-loan program.
Loans are initiated in November to begin their November-to-August growing season south of the Equator.
These farmers prepared crop-investment time sheets (photo at right) and are receiving money according to the time that a particular task (grading, watering, fertilizer, seed purchase, pesticides, harvesting, etc) is needed. Initially, $1500 was provided for grading.
The farmers below show the progress of their rice crop.
Micro-loans are provided for other cases to help people become self-sufficient.
100% of micro-loans at Santīsimo Sacramento Parish have been paid back in full in the past. World-wide experience with such loans have been about 95% pay back.