Re:coffee growers in Colombia; does the govt lend the money to cultivate the beans to encourage them not to?

Question

grow cocoa, but charge exorbitant interest rates

Answer 1

The govt tried to do that. They would pay X to the campesinos to grow Coffee They were grants and NO Interest whatsoever was involved. They gave that up because the cocaineros would always pay more. Interesting to note that in Bolvia, with the rising price of food, some coca growers are giving up some of their crops to grow rice (Subsidized of course)