The Comptroller General of Panama has approved a contract to finance the first part of the Agricultural Master Plan in the Western Region, whose funds will be invested in the next two years.
The plan, which in its first stage will be executed in seven components, consists of the improvement of productive infrastructure, acquisition of equipment and supplies and management of the water resource.
With a loan from the Andean Development Corporation, part of the master plan for agriculture in the Western region will be financed, which consists of the improvement of productive infrastructure, acquisition of equipment and supplies and management of water resources.
The program comprises seven components in its first stage: research, extension and technical assistance; associativity and entrepreneurship; agricultural health and food safety; metrology and laboratories; water management and water harvesting; productive infrastructure, equipment and supplies; institutional development for the execution of PMARO.
Grupo Duwest has announced the acquisition of Cafesa, a company that traded agricultural products and machinery, which until now belonged to Yara International.
Both Duwest and Cafesa are engaged in the marketing of agricultural products and machinery in Central America.Raimundo Rojas, CEO of Duwest, confirmed to Nacion.com that"...
Businessmen and importers of agricultural machinery argue that the payment of sales tax increases costs and reduces competitiveness of their production.
Imports of capital goods in the agriculture sector dropped from $57 to $54 million between 2014 and 2015, according to central bank data published by Laprensa.hn. The union of importers and the agricultural producers themselves say the cost has risen since the Law on Organising Public Finance, Control of Exemptions and Anti-Evasion Measures came into effect, a law which eliminated tax exemptions which had been granted to the agricultural sector for years.
In Nicaragua for every cultivated hectare, 39 kilos of fertilizer are used, in Panama the figure is 50 kilos, in Honduras, 58, in Guatemala, 97, in El Salvador, 135, and in Costa Rica, 264 kilos.
The study "State of the Global Food and Agriculture", by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), details not only the use of fertilizer per hectare in Central America, but also the proportion of the value added in agriculture in each country.
Producers are complaining about a lack of agility and excessive paperwork in the process to request tax exemptions for the purchase of equipment and farm machinery.
Agricultural producers argue that they can not easily access the exemptions for the purchase of equipment which is established in the recently passed Tax Act. Although it has been stated that within three months the necessary reforms will be made for the exemptions to given on products and not producers, the current requirements are delaying procedures and access to the incentive on the part of the producers.
The government has announced the purchase of livestock feed and other agricultural materials, construction of wells and reservoirs, and the purchase and rental of machinery.
From a statement issued by the Presidency of the Republic of Costa Rica:
The government of the Republic will invest $29 million from the National Emergency Fund and from regular resources from various public institutions, in order to address the damages generated by the drought in some cantons in the Central Pacific and throughout the province of Guanacaste.
A Colombian company has obtained a patent on two machines that reduce water consumption in oil palm plantations, and has plans to install a plant in Guatemala.
The Colombian company Inal has obtained a first patent and it is expected that before the end of 2014 it will set up a pilot plant capable of processing ten tons of palm per hour.
The general manager of the company, Angel Acuna told portafolio.co that "...
The agricultural sector is demanding a law that grants tax benefits and allows the use of leasing of machinery and equipment to improve competitiveness.
Instead of buying equipment and financing it with a bank, the agriculture sector is calling for a law to be approved to regulate and encourage the use of leasing, as a way to improve productivity by renting equipment and not borrowing to acquire it.
A request has been made for the exemptions for the purchase of supplies to be maintained and the government is being asked to consider coverage for losses caused caused by prices that are set in other countries.
The president of the National Chamber of Agriculture and Agribusiness, Juan Rafael Lizano said in an article on Crhoy.com that "... Costa Rica needs to learn from other business partners and see the benefits that have been obtained for other countries with the New U.S. Farm Bill which created two programs, one for loss coverage due to prices and coverage for other income (yields and prices). "
The Monte Rosa mill will invest $100 million in a new boiler to increase the amount of power generated from bagasse from 32 to 55 MW .
The mill plans to increase the amount of energy generated based on sugar cane waste by investing in a new boiler. With this extra power, the company aims to supply about 10% of domestic demand.
"That will require an additional investment of about a hundred million dollars to install a new boiler that will allow us to grow from 6.3 million to 7.3 quintals of sugar per harvest. But the most important thing is not more sugar, but to generate more energy. We want to deliver 55 megawatt hours of clean renewable energy and have the ability to generate all year round, not just during the harvest ", said Bernardo Chamorro, general manager of Monte Rosa in an article on Laprensa.com.ni .
The Outlook for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Americas: A perspective on Latin America and the Caribbean 2011-2012.
ECLAC, FAO and IICA press release:
San Jose, Costa Rica, October 21 (ECLAC/FAO/IICA). Despite the current context of volatility and high food prices, in the long term, the agricultural sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will be able to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by having available land - albeit concentrated in a few countries- a relative abundance of water, biodiversity and well-educated human resources.
The Outlook for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Americas: A perspective on Latin America and the Caribbean 2011-2012.
ECLAC, FAO and IICA press release:
San Jose, Costa Rica, October 21 (ECLAC/FAO/IICA). Despite the current context of volatility and high food prices, in the long term, the agricultural sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will be able to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by having available land - albeit concentrated in a few countries- a relative abundance of water, biodiversity and well-educated human resources.
Lack of modernization processes and machinery accounts for the low competitiveness of agricultural production.
In order to increase production and eliminate the need to import grains when there is a shortfall in production and the needs of the local market cannot be met, industry representatives are suggesting the use of machinery that could triple crop yields.