On May 17 and 18, agroindustrial companies in the region will be meeting in San Pedro Sula, where products will be exhibited and business appointments held.
In the IV edition of the Agromercados 2018 fair, which will take place at the San Pedro Sula Expo Center, the participation of at least 800 companies is expected.
Mangosteen, pitahaya, guanabana, passion fruit, uchuva, ipecacuana, pejibaye and carambola are some of the agricultural products with potential to export to markets such as Europe and America.
From a report by Procomer of Costa Rica entitled "Opportunities for commercialization of incipient agricultural products":
PROCOMER has carried out an analysis of agricultural products that have possibilities for production and expansion at the national and international level, but whose exports are few or none at all.Through the support of PROCOMER's Trade Promotion Offices, state agencies and research centers, 8 products with the highest potential for international marketing were selected: Mangosteen, pitahaya, guanabana, passion fruit, uchuva, ipecac, pejibaye and carambola.
The aim is to identify the characteristics of the soils used in agriculture and forestry in order to achieve higher levels of productivity.
The Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (Ineter) has announced that it intends "... to cross reference information about different cultivations and how they relate to the productivity of the soil."
The private sector proposal includes building a new port in the Caribbean and improving existing ones, reviewing electricity tariffs, and creating a special tourist area in San Juan del Sur and Tola.
The private union has submitted a proposal for development in 2020 that focuses on five areas: financing; infrastructure and services; public management and facilitation; education system and human capital; and innovation in business management.
Only Costa Rica has an "well developed agricultural research system" in a region that "has lagged behind in terms of infrastructure, investment and research capabilities."
From a statement issued by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture:
San Jose, October 26, 2016 (IICA).The investment that some countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have made in agricultural research has progressively increased in recent years, however, there are considerable differences with other countries in the region: some have investments of up to 1.8% of Real Agricultural Domestic Product (PIBag), but others invest only 0, 1%.
The drama over the bulk of exports being primary products without added value is unfolding not only in Nicaragua.
The new president of the Association of Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua (APEN), Guillermo Jacoby, has carried out a lucid analysis of the difficulties faced by Nicaraguan exporters in increasing both the volume and the value of its sales abroad, and especially how to make this productive effort sustainable.
Leasing plots of land in the country that are not being used could be an alternative for owners who do not have the resources nor the technology to exploit them.
Nicaragua has almost the same amount of unused land as plots farmed with corn, beans, rice and sorghum. Data from the Fourth National Agricultural Census (CENAGRO 2011) reveals that more than 995,500 blocks of agricultural land are being left unused in the country, which means there is an opportunity to lease land and extract profit, as is done in the housing sector.
The total amount of available land ideal for developing agricultural activities is estimated at 2 million hectares, and is mainly situated in the east of the territory.
Attracting more investment from companies in agribusiness is part of the authority's aims, however, before thinking about increasing investment in agriculture there is a need to improve productivity.
AGRITRADE Expo & Conference will take place on March 12th-13th in Guatemala City, and will be attended by 100 international buyers.
From a statement by the Guatemalan Exporters Association:
In order to bring together in one place offerings of Central American agricultural exports, the AGRITRADE Expo & Conference from AGEXPORT, sold at its breakfast launch 50% of the show's floor, an event which will be held in 2015, in Santo Domingo Hill, Antigua Guatemala and will bring to the country more than 100 international buyers interested in coffee, cardamom, macadamia, broccoli, organic products, pepper, from Guatemala and Central America.
With a loan of $10 million from the World Bank. Grupo Mercon will provide technical assistance and grant funding to coffee producers.
CISA Exportadora del Grupo Mercon and Corporación Financiera Internacional, a member of the World Bank signed a loan agreement for $10 million in support of coffee growing in Nicaragua.
The Director of Agribusiness Manufacturing and Services for Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa of the IFC, Oscar Chemerinsk indicated in an article in Estrategiaynegocios.net that "the investment will benefit coffee farmers, supporting the development of critical aspects of the distribution chain in coffee communities throughout the country. "
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.
Nicaragua's current and potential agricultural sector offers opportunities that the industry has not exploited to the fullest.
This was explained Roberto Brenes, General Manager the Export and Investment Center (CEI) in an interview he conducted with Massiell Largaespada from Elnuevodiario.com.ni.
The official explained that for this to be able to happen, producers must take on a challenge and that is in the production process and introduction of technology in order to move from producing raw materials to producing products with added value.
In Nicaragua, expectations are that the harvest of white corn in the 2013-2014 cycle will reach 12 million quintals, which will be enough to supply national consumption.
However in order for that to happen, small and medium farmers must achieve a higher return on their crops and increase production.
Laprensa.com.ni reports: "Through the Corn for All program, which is being run in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, the idea is to increase productivity of staple grain crops in the varieties that are planted in each country ". This program is being developed in partnership with Disagro and Helps International.
Low production costs make sesame production a highly profitable option for small farmers in Nicaragua.
Added to this is the growing trend of consumers worldwide who prefer healthy foods that are nutritious and have curative qualities such as sesame which can be used for oil extraction and as a food.
"Sesame cultivation does not demand large amounts of pesticides and nutrients, which makes it one of the cheapest in terms of investment costs and makes it accessible to small producers. It requires an investment of $400 per acre ", reported Laprensa.com.ni.
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.