On May 5th-6th breeders from different countries will meet in Costa Rica to discuss issues of reproduction, marketing and sustainability in the production of buffalo meat.
From a press release issued by the Costa Rican Association of Buffalo Breeders:
"At this time when the country continues to grow steadily in the development of the buffalo cattle, Costa Rica will be hosting the VII Buffalo Breeders Symposium of the Americas and Europe, which will bring together experts breeders from different countries around the world to cover four major themes during their meeting: Marketing and Sales, Legislation, Health and Reproduction and Entrepreneurship and sustainability.
Guatemalan cardamom producers will have access to best practices and techniques to improve production and increase their exports.
From a statement by the Guatemalan Exporters Association:
"In order for partnerships, cooperatives, committees and community groups, to work directly with the leaders of the national economy, the Cardamom Committee at AGEXPORT, under the Rural Agro Meeting to be held on 20 and 21 March 2014, in Coban, Alta Verapaz, is inviting cardamom producers to work together through an Agricultural Export Network, which will serve to facilitate the transfer of technology to farmers in different themes, so that they can take advantage of new business opportunities.
From April 28th to May 3rd the 59th Annual Meeting of the Central American Cooperative Program for the Improvement of Crops and Animals will be held in Managua.
Representatives from the agricultural sector from more than 20 countries will gather together from April 28th to May 3rd in Managua, where the 59th Annual Meeting of the Central American Cooperative Program for the Improvement of Crops and Animals will be held.
Guatemalan agricultural employers spend $300 million on private security representing between 12% and 16% of their budgets.
Prensalibre.com reports that "the Chamber of Agriculture (Camagro) reported that during 2013 there was an increase in criminal acts such as kidnappings, threats and extortions against their workers, as well as the theft and destruction of private property ... "
Chicken meat imports in Costa Rica had a growth of 57% in 2012 over the previous year, while beef only grew 46%.
From the report:
In 2012 the country imported $48.3 million worth, an increase of 28% compared to the previous year.
Imports of frozen bovine meat recorded the highest increase in monetary terms, with imports in 2012 having increased by more than $4.4 million compared with the previous year, going from $9.6 million in 2011 to approximately $14 million in 2012.
It is not the poor who are taking advantage of Central America's vast agricultural potential but those who are able to access technology and financing.
The is one of the sectors with the greatest demand and growth opportunities, but funding and intervention is needed in order to gain a greater advantage.
Lucydalia Baca Castellon conducted and interview for Laprensa.com.ni with Ernesto Gallo, professor at the Escuela Zamorano de Honduras, who says that agriculture is not an activity for poor people, but one of the most difficult and demanding businesses there is.
From 15th to 18th of October Latin American producers of African palm in Guatemala will meet to discuss ways to increase productivity.
"We want this event to become a benchmark of quality (...), we have prepared a program with extremely important issues focussing on sustainable development of cultivation," said Jose Molina, president of the Union of Palm Growers in Guatemala.
During the first six months of 2013 the country received $700 million from exports of sugar.
Sugar sales during the first half gave a big boost to other exports. According to the Bank of Guatemala (Banguat), up to June exports reported a total of $5.298 billion, up 1.6% from the income generated in the same period in 2012 which was $5.215 billion.
According to Armando Boesche, manager of the Sugar Association of Guatemala (Asazgua), the country saw a record harvest and last September and at the beginning of 2013 it was possible to quote a good price for the product on the stock market. "I hope that prices don't drop because different producing countriessuch as Mexico and Brazil have also had plentiful crops," he said.
In 2012 the country imported $232.5 million worth of fertilizers, a decrease of 6% compared to last year.
CentralAmericaData released its fertilizers imports report for 2012 in Costa Rica. Data includes by CIF totals, Average Weight and Prices, Product Description, Importer, Brands, Countries of Origin, Customs and Import Regimes.
Within this sector, imports of mineral or chemical fertilizers were the only ones that experienced an increase in 2012, up 3% compared to 2011.
The Ministry of Agriculture aims to improve the productive capacity of the country through a policy of irrigation water management.
The initiative includes four components, among which is the creation of dams or reservoirs which store water during the rainy season for use in irrigation during the dry season.
"It's a big but strategic investment which the country needs to take in order to avoid a lot of problems due to climate change," says the Rural Economic Development Deputy Minister, Carlos Anzueto.
The European Commission has decided to restrict the use of three pesticides used in the growing of plants and cereals, after having verified that they are harmful to bees.
From an article by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
The European Commission (EC) decided to restrict the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides used in the growing of plants and cereals, after finding that these are harmful to bees.
The production of both grains will be around 37.5 million and 5 million quintals respectively, therefore the MAGA is able to guarantee the supply for domestic consumption.
According to Carlos Anzueto, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food, preliminary projections for consumption are in the order of 2.4 quintals per person per year (about 33.6 million quintals), and in the case of beans, per capita consumption is equivalent to about 30 pounds per year (about 4.2 million quintals).
The Costa Rican government has informed the WTO that from March next year it will cease the pricing system by which domestic rice producers are subsidized.
From 1st March 2014 rice subsidies will be removed, which could end the dispute with the U.S. and other WTO members on account of aid given to rice farmers.
In a statement that the Government of Costa Rica sent to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the country said it will eliminate aid for rice farmers through a decree approved last month.
The seal which refers to Colombian beans became the first denomination of foreign origin to be accepted in Switzerland.
The certification process lasted five years, but from now on the Confederation will protect the coffee from this country as a unique product in the world.
"The application for Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) was filed on January 31 last, after five years of negotiations", reported Prensalibre.com.
A study on soils and capacity for land use in Solola identifies the potential, both in agriculture and agroforestry, in various zones, in order to achieve optimal production capacity.
According to Miguel Duro, director of the Department of Geographic Information and Strategic Risk Management at the Maga (Digegr), in charge of the Semi-detailed Soil Survey and Land use Capacity 1:50 k scale, both exporters and local producers will benefit from the report.