Before July 2013 roots and tubers packaging plants must obtain health certification from the HACCP, in order to continue exporting to the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
The seven plants in Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua, together processed over 80% of the production of roots and tubers of the North (RAAN) and South (RAAS) Atlantic Autonomous Regions. 90% of this production is exported to the U.S.
Nicaraguan roots and tubers are now being packed in the country with export volumes increasing year on year, mainly going to the United States and Puerto Rico.
Of the $37 million traded in ExpoApen 2012, $14 million was related to sales of roots and tubers.
The same situation occurred in the latest edition of the Fresh Summit 2012 food fair, held in California, where the most sought after Nicaraguan products were malanga coco, malanga lila, and quiquisque.
In the case of beans, the goal was to plant 110 thousand hectares, but 112,000 were planted. In corn, the number of hectares increased from 304,000 to 315,000.
From a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry:
Production expectations in both beans and corn, are excellent assured the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ariel Bucardo, during a meeting of the Bean Council, involving producers, exporters and government officials.
Although there is growth in the export growth of tubers such as malanga and taro, the activity is far away from tapping the export potential of the $40-$50 million estimated by the producers.
Foreign sales of roots and tubers such as malanga and taro in the first quarter of 2012 grew from $1.8 million in the period from January to March 2011, to $2.3 million in the same period in 2012.
The lifting of restrictions on bean exports has revealed a harsh reality as previous buyers are being supplied by other vendors.
Nicaraguan bean exports have failed to recover from the negative effects of restrictions on its output by the government for a year, which were finally lifted in early 2012 - due to the loss of markets that these obstacles created.
Six Nicaraguan companies traded coffee, honey, sesame seeds, and cashews with European buyers at the organic products fair Biofach 2012.
The Association of Nicaraguan Producers and Exporters (APEN) and the Export and Investment Center (CEI), reported that six Nicaraguan companies also connected with 80 potential buyers.
The most popular products were coffee, honey, sesame seeds, and cashews, which will be sent to Germany, UK, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, France, Spain and Denmark, according to an article on Laprensa.com.ni.
The barriers on the export of the grain to Costa Rica and El Salvador have disappeared, and producers expect to sell about 200,000 quintals abroad.
The export of Nicaraguan kidney beans to Costa Rica and El Salvador went back to normal last weekend after phytosanitary certificates were delivered by the authorities, announced the National Association of Bean Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua (APEN).
Nicaraguan producers say that despite government promises, there are still barriers to exporting about 25 million quintals of good quality grain.
Nicaraguan bean growers have reiterated that the authorities are still preventing the export of the grain, despite official promises to remove barriers, a situation that has gone on for several weeks now and is bringing losses to farmers.
The National Bean Commision of the Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Nicaragua (APEN) has requested the government of Nicaragua to lift the barriers imposed two weeks ago on the export of beans, which have brought losses to producers.
According to Félix Miranda, chairman of the committee, the "delay" has caused economic losses because the quality of the product decreases day by day, which reduces the price.
In the two days of meetings representatives from 247 companies negotiated sales of $25 million, surpassing previous figures.
The product which made the most sales was coffee at 55%, followed by fruits and vegetables with 22%, said Azucena Castillo, general manager of the Association of Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua (APEN).
"APEN believes that not only was the show successful but also the Third Central American Congress of Food Science and Technology, which brought together 33 international experts, who gave 23 specialized lectures to domestic producers", writes Gisella Canales for La Prensa.
Weather and price conditions bode well for the current crop, which is scheduled for mid August.
Mid-August will see the start of corn and beans harvesting, which is expected to be very positive due to the favorable climate and production conditions.
These good conditions, coupled with the prices of grains, have allowed authorities to foresee very good results from the harvest of about 7.7 million quintals of white corn, 1.41 million quintals of beans and 1.91 million quintals of upland rice .
Given the restrictive measures taken by Nicaragua, bean exporters announced the total loss of the U.S. market.
The president of the Association of Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua (APEN), Enrique Zamora, said that an inability to comply with current signed contracts, "U.S. buyers have turned their back to Nicaragua and are looking for beans in other countries," states Laprensa.com.ni.
Producers managed to sell $ 4.2 million over three days of participation at the fair.
Azucena Castillo, general manager of the Association of Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua (APEN), said the purchase contracts are for okra, watermelon, ginger and dragon fruit.
"He stressed that those 4.2 million are in addition to what is planned to be exported this year (about 2.200 million dollars) and it also opens new markets," reported Laprensa.com.ni.
A delegation from the Venezuelan government will negotiate the purchase of 20,000 metric tons of black beans.
The president of the Nicaraguan Association of Producers and Exporters, Enrique Zamora, highlighted the benefit to producers that are organized in cooperatives.
“In 2009, according to statistics from Nicaragua’s Center for Export Procedures, black bean sales to Venezuela were $3.14 million comprising exports of 2,460 tons,” reports Laprensa.com.ni.