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."
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.
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.
In Nicaragua some coffee farmers obtain average crop yields of 35 quntals per acre of green coffee.
A major challenge for Nicaraguan coffee growers is to increase their productivity and achieve technological and administrative renewal.
"In the last ten years the national yield has fluctuated between 7.7 and 12.10 quintals per acre and the average during that period was 10.29 quintals per acre, one of the lowest in Latin America.
The Nicaraguan Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUNIDES), has presented a study entitled "Program For Improvement of Coffee Production for Small and Medium Producers."
From the press release by FUNIDES:
The Nicaraguan Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUNIDES), presents the study "Program For Improvement of Coffee Production for Small and Medium Producers (May 2012)" prepared in July by the consultants Julio Solórzano Lanzas and Félix Cáceres Trujillo.
A national policy is required to allow the renovation of a large part of the coffee plantations in the country, which have lost yield after 30 years.
The northern departments of Jinotega, Matagalpa and Nueva Segovia are the main coffee growing areas. This where there are the most coffee farms with aging plants, reported Laprensa.com.ni.
During the government of Violeta Barrios de Chamorro a plan was launched to renovate about 25 thousand acres of coffee farms, but they barely managed to cover less than 25 percent of the area.
The yield increased from 62 to 75 tons per acre, which will enable 7 million quintals to be export from this 2011-2012 harvest .
In the previous harvest 2010-2011, agricultural output was 62 tons per acre planted, but an increase in productivity and the area planted, produced yields of 75 tons in the current harvest, said entrepreneurs.
In the period 2011-2012, Nicaragua harvested 13 million quintals, of which 7 million will be exported.
Experiences in trying to obtain self-produced grains at affordable prices for the population have been real disasters, with China being the best example.
A draft Law for the Approval of the National Integrated Rural Development of Guatemala proposes that "food security be based on the production of basic grain, under the concept of autarky, defined as food sovereignty, i.e.
Productive organizations have formed an alliance in order to promote the use of organic fertilizers in the cultivation of beans.
By using these inoculants, growers expect to gain an increase of between 30% and 40% in productivity.
About 3,500 small farmers in the departments of Esteli, Matagalpa, Jinotega, Nueva Segovia, Chinandega, Carazo, Masaya, Boaco, the RAAN and RAAS, are taking part in the program.
A study reveals the benefits for Nicaragua of a comprehensive program of renovation, pruning and condensing of coffee plantations.
Results of the study by TechnoServe, an international economic development organisation, were unveiled by director Julio Cesar Montealegre.
Among the study’s recommendations were that development programs should be established for long-term loans, and land titles should be granted to farmers as well as the implantation of a pruning plan that involves cutting down coffee plants after six years of production
The supply of Nicaraguan products, particularly food, cannot keep up with demand from the Taiwanese market.
While exports have increased 172%, from $5.4 million in the first six months of 2009 to $14.7 million in the same period of 2010, Anita Huang, economic council to the Taiwanese Embassy in Nicaragua has indicated that the south east asian country's market can cope with more.
Two common issues facing modern agriculture: efficient food production and environmentally sustainable practises.
Agricultural Productivity plays a decisive role in the conservation of the environment as well as in economic and social development. As such, Central America's agricultural entrepreneurs and industries must keep themselves up-to-date with the latest innovations in maximizing harvests in the smallest surface area (ecological footprint) while optimizing water usage (virtual water and water footprint). This should be done alongside the region's Ministries of Agriculture and research organizations.
Productivity is lagging in Nicaragua, says an unsigned editorial in the Managua newspaper El Nuevo Diario.
It says this is not only because of the limited role the country assigns it as a supplier of cheap primary materials, but also because large producers rely on their revenue sources instead of trying to increase efficiency.
As a result, the editorial says, it's not surprising that agricultural yields in Nicaragua are smaller than in the rest of Central America even though it has better land.