Coca 'better than milk for kids'

COCA leaf has more nutritional value than milk and should replace it in school lunches, Bolivia's colourful new Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca told reporters today.

"Our children need calcium and the coca leaf has more calcium than milk," said the official, who in past interviews confessed to have stopped reading books since he discovered his Aymara heritage and claims to get his knowledge from reading the wrinkles of his ancestors.

"Our children need phosphorous and the coca leaf has more phosphorous than fish," he said.

"Perhaps instead of milk in school lunches, we should be giving coca leaf to our children," Mr Choquehuanca said.

The official said his information on the nutritional value of the coca leaf came from studies done by the Bolivian Health Ministry and Harvard University, in the United States.

Coca leaf is chewed by millions of Bolivians as a tonic and to stave off hunger.

It is also processed into cocaine and sold abroad, chiefly in the United States, in a multi-billion dollar illegal trade.

New Bolivian President Evo Morales, also of indigenous extraction, was elected in December with strong support from coca farmers, is under US pressure to repress the coca industry, both in its illegal and traditional roles.

Asked to comment on Mr Choquehuanca's proposal, opposition MP and former education minister Tito Hoz de Vila said coca would have a detrimental effect on schoolchildren.

"Those poor students would be dozing off in the classroom instead of paying attention to their schoolwork," he said.