Through information solutions based on the use of satellite photos, the application of classification models and the implementation of machine learning algorithms, it is possible to optimize the management of large plantations and minimize the risks faced by crops that affect profitability per hectare planted.
The growing availability of data that exists today is leading companies to seek new ways and tools to take advantage of this huge wave of information that is being generated in different business sectors.
Betting on the latest technology projects, agriculture 4.0 and seeking alternative products derived from sugarcane so as not to depend on international prices, are some of the lines of action on which the Guatemalan sugar sector will focus in the coming years.
Although sugar prices in the international market have improved between October 2020 and April 2021, in previous years there was a downward trend that pressured mills to explore new market opportunities for sugarcane-derived products.
Some of the technological tools that will be used in the coming years to increase agricultural productivity include the use of devices connected to the Internet that can create self-regulating microclimates in greenhouses and crop monitoring through aerial images.
Business Intelligence solutions used by agricultural companies have the ability to transform maps and images into structured data that can be used for decision making.
An agricultural production complex was inaugurated in Costa Rica, which has six modules for protected environments and will be used to validate vegetable crop production techniques.
The project, promoted by the National Institute for Innovation and Transfer of Agricultural Technology (INTA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, aims to validate horticultural crop production techniques in protected environments for the agro-environmental conditions of the Huetar Caribbean Region, Costa Rican authorities reported.
In order to overcome the trade conflict resulting from the blocking of the entry of animal products from Costa Rica into the Panamanian market, both nations have started a dialogue.
The trade conflict between the two countries began in July 2020, when Panama informed the National Animal Health Service (SENASA), an agency of the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), of the decision not to extend export authorization to a list of previously authorized Costa Rican establishments that have been trading in the Panamanian market for many years.
The blockade to the entrance of products of animal origin coming from Costa Rica to the Panamanian market, has derived in a commercial conflict in which both countries have their share of responsibility, since the authorities of both nations advocate for protectionist measures.
On July 10, 2020, Panama informed the National Animal Health Service (SENASA), an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica (MAG), about the decision not to extend the authorization for export to a list of Costa Rican establishments previously authorized and that have been commercializing in the Panamanian market for many years.
After the Panamanian government agreed to ban the entry of animal products from Costa Rica, Panamanian businessmen supported the measure and asked to discuss the export and import requirements, since they claim that their agricultural products are prevented from accessing the Costa Rican market.
The trade dispute began when on July 10 Panama informed the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) of the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) of the decision not to extend export authorization to a list of previously authorized Costa Rican establishments that have been exporting to Panama for many years.
An industrial plant for the processing of vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy products, roots and tubers will be built in the canton of Coto Brus, province of Puntarenas.
The Costa Rican government awarded the contract for the construction of this industrial complex to the company Vidalco Empresa Constructora. It is estimated that the overall investment will be approximately $3 million.
In Costa Rica, legislative initiatives are being prepared to restructure the credit portfolios of small and medium agricultural producers affected by climate phenomena.
One of the initiatives includes the purchase of the credit portfolio to readjust the debts of producers affected by climatic phenomena and who are unable to pay. The credits that would be applied in this case would be those of $35,000 or less.
The cultivation, processing and export of coconut and its derivatives, and the transformation of goat activity focused on the manufacture of personal care and health products, are some of the proposals for Costa Rican agriculture to generate greater added value.
A study conducted by FUNDES Strategy identifies new opportunities for Costa Rica's agricultural sector.
During August and September, Costa Rica's monthly agricultural activity index reported a 0.16% and 0.82% year-on-year increase, respectively, reversing the downward trend recorded in previous months.
According to data from the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR), between October 2018 and July 2019 the Monthly Index of Agricultural Activity (IMAGRO) registered negative year-on-year variations.
Anticipating the effects of climate on crops and mitigating their impact is one of the benefits of using techniques to manage large volumes of information.
The agricultural industry is no stranger to the new reality focused on the analysis of large volumes of information and making business decisions based on data.
Just as in the industrial sector the analysis of large volumes of information can minimize costs and improve the performance of a production process, in agriculture the use of these tools allows, among other things, know exactly when a crop has reached its maximum level of hydration.
Since October 1, Costa Rican producers and suppliers in the agricultural and fishing sector have a special regime for declaring and paying VAT, which provides that coffee producers, sugarcane and beekeepers will make an annual declaration.
The new Special Agricultural Regime (REA) does not change fiscal obligations, but it allows them to be adapted to the particularities of production processes, so as to facilitate compliance, informed the authorities.
The average tariff applied to imports of agricultural products in Costa Rica is 14.1%, while for imported industrial goods, the levy is 5.6%.
The Trade Policy Review of Costa Rica, prepared by the World Trade Organization (WTO), specifies that sausages and similar products are some of the imports on which the highest tariffs have been imposed.
On September 2, Costa Rica began the registration of individuals and agricultural producers who wish to opt for the benefits contemplated in the new tax regulations.
The term began on Monday, September 2 and ends on January 31, 2020, and for registration interested parties must submit their physical or legal identity card, and literal certification of the property, informed the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).