A practical guide for aquaculture producers has been released explaning how to reach consumers and avoid common errors in distribution and marketing.
From a publication by the Costa Rican Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
The North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC by its initials in Spanish) has just published a tutorial entitled "MarketMake: Marketing Aquaculture Products" which is designed to be a comprehensive and practical guide to help aquaculture producers to bring their products to market.
The Food and Drug Administration agency has released two proposed rules within and outside its territory.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the provisions of the Modernization of the Food Safety Act (FSMA), has launched two proposed standards for industries within and outside the country, focused on safety standards of agricultural and preventive controls in food for human consumption.
Entrepreneurs from provinces of Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro and Veraguas, and from Costa Rica, are being invited to participate in the Business Conference 2013, to be held from 9 to 10 May in David, Panama.
About 500 entrepreneurs and sales agents will gather at over 100 business roundtables, in order to create better business opportunities for MSMEs and large enterprises in Panama and Costa Rica.
Farmers engaged in export will meet on 14 and 15 March in Antigua Guatemala where they will be on the look out for business deals estimated to reach $35 million.
From a press release issued by the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (AGEXPORT):
Entrepreneurs of agribusiness in Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Guatemala are already confirmed for the 16th edition of the most important international agricultural fair in Central America: AGRITRADE Expo & Conference, which will take place on 14 and 15 March in Santo Domingo del Cerro, La Antigua Guatemala.
There are seven deadly sins being committed in agricultural production in Latin America, preventing possible productivity and perpetuating poverty and underdevelopment.
In his article in Laprensa.com.ni, Juan Vega Gonzales summarizes the concepts developed by Polan Lacki, a
Brazilian specialist with 50 years experience in rural development, regarding the reasons for Latin America’s agricultural underdevelopment.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has presented the basket of major products that are exported in order to monitor prices and marketing channels.
An article in Elfinancierocr.com reports that "Included in the basket will be six pesticide active ingredients under 95 brandnames, informed Guisela Chaves, director of economic studies at the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC).
The event will be held in Costa Rica, from 23 - 26 July 2013, at the Convention Center of Hotel Ramada Plaza Herradura.
The conference is aimed at producers, marketers, researchers and the general public interested in expanding and sharing growing experiences, research, production and marketing of avocados.
Under the slogan: "Visualizing future challenges and opportunities in research, production and marketing of avocados worldwide, with climate change scenarios and the emergence of new technologies", it will feature presentations by renowned academic professional composed of conferences of the world order, also the conference will bring together a large group of experts who will present technical and scientific works.
Costa Rica is preparing an international tender for a 34 kilometer extension of the "Canal del Sur", in Guanacaste, and 52 kilometers of secondary canals.
In approximately two months the administrative processes will be to completed allowing the National Groundwater Irrigation and Drainage Services (Senara in Spanish) to publish the tender for the redevelopment of the canal south of Arenal Tempisque Irrigation District (DRAT) which currently irrigates 27,000 hectares. The execution of the works to be tendered will add a further 8000 hectares of irrigation.
The newly approved project establishes tax calculations based on the historical value of the properties, not applying the rates developed by the Ministry of Finance in 2008.
The tables compiled by the Ministry of Finance "equate the value of agricultural land to urban and tourism projects, which made the price of farms engaged in agriculture go through the roof", reported Nacion.com
A bill under discussion, that would exempt or establish the removal of property tax paid by farmers, might violate the provisions of the FTA with the United States, Central America and Dominican Republic.
According to an article in Elfinancierocr.com, among other accusations against the approval of this project, the Technical Standards Body (ONT) at the Ministry of Finance, "emphasized their concern that the partial tax reduction to be received by farmers is a waiver in disguise that would go against what was negotiated by Costa Rica as part of CAFTA. "
In Costa Rica a property tax which does not distinguish between use of the properties in question, has the agriculture sector on the brink of war.
Lined up on the other side are mayors of dozens of rural towns for which the tax is virtually the only source of income.
According to an article in Elfinancierocr.com "Of the 5.11 million hectares that make up the Costa Rican territory, 1.7 million is earmarked for agricultural use (33%).
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in Costa Rica aims to create a free zone designed as a service center for agricultural production.
According to an article in Elfinancierocr.com, Roger Norton, a member of the University of Texas and speaker during the Congress of Free Zones held this past week, said, "Costa Rica has all the elements required, it just needs to integrate them", referring to a "potential for agro-industrial zones in Latin America."
Melons imported from Guatemala carry a HarvestMark seal which allows consumers to check on the web their origin and cultivation history.
A statement from the Trade Office of Costa Rica reads:
The import company SunAmerica has added a HarvestMark seal to melons supplied by Guatemalan farmers. These are the first Central American melons to use a leading global traceability system, which consist of a label on the product which has a code that the consumer can enter in the HarvestMark website and find out, through videos and photos, on which farm the melon was grown, the farmer who grew it and the whole story behind the product.
SIECA has released a report on the wholesale prices of selected agricultural products and retail prices of some petroleum products, by country.
The report presents the wholesale prices of selected agricultural products and retail prices of some petroleum products by country in Central America, all expressed in a common currency: the U.S. Dollar. It also demonstrates which products registered an increase or decrease in price, both for agricultural as well as petroleum products.
From 8 to 10 November, international executives from Walmart will analyse in Costa Rica sourcing strategies for directly purchasing fruit and vegetables from growers.
A press release from Walmart Mexico and Central America states:
From 8 to 10 November, international executives from Walmart will analyze sourcing strategies for buying direct from fruit and vegetable growers, based on the model used in the rest of Central America.