President Arias Signs Organic Agriculture Law

President Oscar Arias and Production Minister Marco Vargas signed a law Tuesday that gives tax breaks to small and medium organic farmers. The Legislative Assembly passed the law once in September of last year (TT, Sept. 8, 2006), but it had to be passed again last month due to “an administrative error” (TT, June 29).

The law grants 10-year sales and property tax exemptions for small and medium farmers that qualify as organic in order to promote the environmental benefits this type of agriculture produces.

It also provides tax breaks for machinery the farmers import, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial.