The government has announced it will buy high-yield seeds from Costa Rican worth $2 million to start the cultivation of pineapple in large areas.
According to an article in Elnacional.com.do the director of the Special Fund for Agricultural Development (FEDA), Antonio Lopez, said that as part of the preparations for the start of a large scale pineapple cultivation project, a delegation of technicians from the sector traveled to Costa Rica to observe and evaluate the product varieties to be grown in a venture that will benefit hundreds of families.
Government officials say the Cauca Valley has all the conditions to become a great center for fruit from Colombia.
From a press release from Procomer:
The fruit sector will be the metamorphosis of the Valle del Cauca, Colombia, in addition to being a source of employment and economic growth, at least this is the view of national government and regional unions, as they assert that the Department has all the conditions to become a great center for fruit from Colombia.
In the Morelos region more papaya of the superior performance varieties "Intenzza" and "Maradol" are being grown.
A statement from PROCOMER reads:
Mexico increases papaya cultivation
As part of an agricultural diversification, in the region east of Morelos there is continued expansion of the area cultivated with papaya, a product that is positioning itself as one of the most important due to its profitability, the quality achieved using technical advice obtained from agricultural authorities.
A mutant strain of the fungus is affecting 40% of trees in this country and is raising concerns due to its spread potential.
This aggressive variety of rust attacks the leaves of plants and reduces their productivity, and it finds better conditions in low-altitude sites, where it is warmer and there is more moisture.
Central America and Mexico produce about a fifth of the world's Arabica coffee, a quality grain preferred by roasters such as Starbucks. The presence of rust is a serious concern for farmers in the mountains or on the slopes of volcanoes, Reuters reported.
Applications for permits to import genetically modified seeds have become stuck in government bureaucratic mazes in El Salvador, complain private industry.
The Agricultural Suppliers Association (APA) in El Salvador, is promoting the sowing of basic grains seeds that have been genetically modified in order to increase production, reports El Salvador.com.
Crops of corn, beans, rice and sorghum have suffered the most damage after rains hit El Salvador for 10 days.
Government officials have assessed the effects of the storm on plantations throughout the country, and the results are not very optimistic.
The number of bushels of grains that were lost amounts to 1.6 million, as calculated by producers and the Ministry of Agriculture, who is in charge of the analysis.
After heavy rainfall, about 742,500 quintals of beans are reported to be endangered.
The moisture caused by rainfall has generated a fungus attack in 40% of the cultivated area, said Oscar Albanian, director of the Agricultural Suppliers Association (APA).
An article in Elmundo.com.sv quoted the senior executive as saying, "Before this rainfall, between 30 and 35% of beans (in the cultivated area) were damaged by fungi (...) now it is 40% that is at serious risk of being lost. "
The company, Red Fox, an exporter of ornamental plants, has doubled its production area and quadrupled its exports in the last two years.
The company is continuing with its expansion plans and hopes in the next few years to augment its production area from 20 to 40 hectares and increase its annual export to 200 million cuttings, said the company's general manager, Simon Schulz.
The Agriculture ministry plans to increase the country’s sown area by 4.5% during 2010.
One of the initiatives comprises reopening a gasoline and ethanol facility in Izalco, which has been closed for 10 years, announced Hugo Flores, Agriculture Ministry. This is planned for May 30th.
Additionally, the Center for Agriculture and Forestry Technology will support farmers with technology and commercialization assistance, he said.
Mayor José Hernández presented a plan to repair the damages caused by tropical storm Ida.
It comprises building 164 social housing units, dredging a river close to the Guadalupe bridge and funding for reactivating agriculture.
Regarding construction of the housing units, the mayor commented that "the Housing and Urban Development Ministry is in the process of buying a 17-block lot for the construction of 164 houses".
Starting November, regulations will allow lower limits for the agrochemical known as Ethepon.
0.5 ppm will be the new maximum, which still needs approval from the European Parliament.
"This new limit will be valid for a year, while the European Food Safety authority makes further evaluations...", said spokespersons from the Costa Rican Phytosanitary Service, to website Elfinancierocr.com.
The $7 million project looks to train and provide equipment to Central American bean and corn growers.
María Antonia Zelaya is a spokesperson for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Central America. She informed that "the regional project (comprising from Panama to Belize), is divided into phases, the first one being training. This new phase aims to incorporate state of the art machinery, thus increasing corn and bean quality and output".
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, more than 30 million quintals of basic grains are expected this year.
The country has invested $30 million on an improved seed and fertilizer program thus far, looking for increased productivity.
Carlos A. Torres reported statements by Agriculture Minister Mario Salaverría in his article in elsalvador.com: "We expect a harvest of 22 million quintals of corn (the country consumes 17 million) and 2.8 million quintals of beans, of which the country will consume 2.5 million quintals and export 200 thousand quintals."
“Quesungual” is an agro-forestry method whereby the forest is not cut down. Instead, planting is done among dispersed trees that are pruned to allow light to filter in.
Hurricane Mitch’s path through Honduras in 1998 not only caused 10 thousand deaths, it destroyed 40% of the crop in the country. However, in Lempira, on the western part of the country, planting done through the “Quesungual,” method survived the forces unleashed by the wind and water.