The loan from the International Fund for Agricultural Development will finance the program for the development of the southern region.
The Sustainable Rural Development Program for the Southern Region (EMPRENDESUR) aims to increase employment opportunities and food security for small producers.
Proceso.hn reproduces words of President Porfirio Lobo at the signing of the loan agreement, "We are bringing in large investments to Honduras, there is much talk at the lack of our own programs, but sometimes what we do not see is that if we promote programs like this, the sum of many small business owners make a big investment and profit.”
The "Encadenamientos Empresariales" (business linking or chaining) program from Agexport will be presented in other countries.
The Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport) has developed the program for five years, supporting and training 54 rural SMEs.
Agexport Development Manager, Ivan Buitrón said to Sigloxxi.com"...each country should adapt the model to their own needs, but the main idea is to promote public-private partnerships and train farmers reducing poverty and improving nutrition."
Provided by the International Agricultural Development (IADF), the funds are earmarked for small farmers from the country’s south.
Jacobo Regalado, Agriculture Ministry, explained that the money is aimed to assist small farmers from Choluteca, Valle and El Paraíso, who may also receive the resources as micro-loans.
At an encounter in Rome, the country subscribed an agreement which involves $30 million for agricultural development, of which $10 million are disbursed by IADF.
Seminar covering best practices in agricultural value chains and financing its components.
The seminar is being organized to take place in Costa Rica in the second half of November, 2009.
The target audience will be representatives of financial entities active in the agricultural sector, non-financial companies with a stake in the sector (producers, cooperatives, processors, exporters, marketers, input suppliers), Government authorities, business chambers, non-governmental organizations, international organizations and academic the use of agricultural value chains as a mechanism for offering financial services to all the stakeholders involved.