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:: Successful Dairy, Agricultural and Forest Trade Fair ::
As successful was considered the Dairy, Agricultural and Forest Trade Fair organized by Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) last Wednesday, November 25th in León with the participation of more than 200 producers from West of the country who are members of the program.
The producers had the opportunity to show and sell the high quality products that they have achieved with the support that MCA has provided to them such as technical assistance, training, equipment and supplies.
Agricultural headings generated sales for more than 21 thousand córdobas; 884 pounds of dairy products were sold that generated more than 27 thousand córdobas incomes from the processors plants. Handicrafts and cereals generated sales of 10 thousand córdobas. In the same way, 200 pounds of shrimp were commercialized, 40 kilograms of charcoal, 313 forest plants, among some others.
Some of the products that were commercialized in the Fair were: plantain, yucca, beans, vegetables, cashew fruit, Taiwan guava, honey, non agricultural products such as: cereals, handicrafts, juices; forest: furniture, charcoal and various plants varieties; also seashell and shrimp ceviche, as well as various dairy products.
Mr. Steve Marma, Director Resident of the Country of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), donor, congratulated the producers on the quality they have achieved in their products and invited them to continue working and take advantage of MCA support is giving to them through the donation from the people and Government of the United States.
The charcoal cooperative from the community “Los Urroces”, presented to the audience the charcoal they started to produce with the metallic furnace that the program gave them. “People liked the packing of our product and even an invest man from León was interested in setting important trade relationship with us. We sold about 48 bags of 1kg, but the most important thing is that people knew the new product”, said Mauricio Espinoza, member of the cooperative.
The businessman, Roger Sosa, from the West Cereals and Seeds Cooperative, considered that is necessary to extend to two days the activity to promote the products for more time and give the population the opportunity to buy.
:: Alliance to Contribute to Eradicate the Agricultural Child Labor in the West of the Country ::
Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) and CARE recently signed a collaboration agreement to work together to eradicate the agricultural child labor in the West of Nicaragua, mainly in the elimination of that work in its worst ways.
As part of the Agreement a sensitization campaign will be designed and developed aimed to the small and medium producers from the West of the country who work with MCA, so that they contribute to prevent the child labor through the education about the legal framework that already existed at national and international level, its consequences and ways to prevent it.
“We’re here together for a very fair cause: the struggle for the rights of the children to education. We are here to give a contribution to this struggle. We are happy to get together with MCA because of this task”, said Bachelor Felix Jiménez, Director of CARE.
In this alliance with CARE, MCA has the purpose to raise parents, agricultural and cattle raising producers awareness about the danger that child labor represents in the agricultural and cattle raising activities through presenting the negative effects that this produces in children and adolescence periods, and in employers.
“It’s estimated that the three fourth parts of the total child laborers of the country, are in the rural area. We will benefit 8 thousand families, but this project with CARE will have a multiplier effect” said PHD. Juan Sebastián Chamorro, Director of MCA.
MCA is investing about C$ 500 thousand córdobas what includes a communication and awareness campaign, as well as training to the members of MCA in various communities of León and Chinandega distributed in the various conglomerates: agricultural, cattle raising, forest and non- agricultural.
According to the National Survey of Children and Adolescent Work (ENTIA) 2005, there are 238 thousand and 800 children and adolescents active workers in Nicaragua. Two thirds of this group work in the rural area, mainly in agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing.
In the West region, mainly in the rural area where one of the characteristics of the agricultural work is the indiscriminate use of highly toxic chemicals, as well as the use of dangerous tools and some other tackles. Organizations who work in this topic have a special awareness about the child labor due to the exposition of children to factors that could have a negative impact in their physical and mental health, and in their integrity.
It does exist a National Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Eradication of Child Labor and Protection to the Adolescent Worker 2007 – 2016, prepared by the Work Ministry and the National Commission for the Eradication of Child Labor and Protection to the Adolescent Worker, MITRAB – CNEPTI.
:: Rice Producers Signed Trade Contract ::
Rice producers from the Cooperative “El Progreso”, signed a commercial contract with the Agri-Corp company to sell 8 thousand 400 bags of 100 pounds each, of dried rice with husk. This rice was produced in 120 manzanas.
This contract is the result of a business parade made last month with the coordination of Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) and its farm operator Chemonics, with the purpose to promote business relationships with this sector and provide information about credit policies of financial entities.
In the trade contract with Agri-Corp, producers have to give in the following varieties: 70 percent of Inta Chinandega, 15 percent Inta Dorado, and 15 percent Anar.
So far, approximately, 400 bags of 100 pounds of 70/30 quality have been given in, at C$ 419 córdobas each bag.
Through eight cooperatives in the West of the country, MCA supports 900 manzanas of rice with fertilizers and fungicides given to the producers who will pay back with rice once they harvest. In this way a revolving fund can be created to refinance next sowings.
:: Workshop to Export Agricultural Products ::
Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), through its operator Chemonics, will develop a theoretical and practical workshop from November 30th to December 6th: “How to Export Agricultural Products to El Salvador” aimed to its members.
The purpose of the workshop is producers from West part of the country set direct trade of their products creating sustainable alliances with local and Central America customers, so that they have more incomes.
The workshop includes: a visit to El Salvador to learn about the proceedings and paperwork needed to realize the exportation through El Guasaule and Amatillo customs; a business parade with potential customers from that country to initiate conversations about possibilities of commercial alliances; and a workshop of how to do the effective commercialization of agricultural products.
Eleven small and medium producers and agricultural businesspeople from León and Chinandega participate in the following headings: jícaro, red-silk bean, plantain, vegetables and yucca.
“Usually, most of the products from León and Chinandega are sold to national and Salvadorian intermediates to a much lower price than they get when they commercialize them in El Salvador and Honduras. That’s why MCA and its farm operator work to improve the quality of the headings, to generate added value and create capacity of negotiation directly with the trades”, mentioned the Engineer, Tomas Membreño Agricultural, Director Operator of MCA, Chemonics.
“With the purpose to achieve sustainability in this activity and share costs, knowledge and experience in exports, Chemonics has become formally engaged with the Exports and Investments Center (CEI), also the program of Export-Nicaragua from INCAE has been invited. This will permit to have access to experts in exports and commercialization of agricultural products who will provide an effective training to the producers in the mentioned course”, informed Membreño.
:: Dairy Processors Demonstrate Quality in Competition ::
The dairy processors from the West of the country members of Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), demonstrated the quality and variety of the products they process in the dairy competition organized as part of the First Dairy, Agricultural and Forest Trade Fair.
About 18 processors showed their products and each of them chose one type of cheese to participate in the competition. Patricio López from Milk and Cheese “La Gaviota” deserved the first place; “Delicatesas Leonesas” owned by Angela Hernández received the second place; and the cheese producer “Nazaret” owned by Denis José Espinoza, got the third place.
The panel of judges visited each Mr. Edgardo Andrés Pérez, Director of Food Patent and Control Office of the Ministry of Health (MINSA), by the specialist in innocuousness PHD. Aris Mejía, and the boss of the Technology and Food Department of UNAN-León, Bachelor Guadalupe Vargas.
The parameters by the ones the judges selected the winners were: presentation and diversity of the product, label, innovation and facility of expression when offering the products.
PHD. Aris Mejía, specialist in innocuousness before giving the awards said that the products presented had very good quality, besides emphasized the interest that processors have to continue improving their process. He also invited them to continue working to improve the quality of their production and achieve, in a future, their codes and record bar.
:: Journalists from West of the Country Graduated ::
A group of journalists from León and Chinandega received their postgraduate diploma in Economic and Rural Development Journalism, organized by Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) and facilitated by specialists from Thomas More University.
The postgraduate course was financed by MCA with the purpose to contribute to improve the professional level of journalists from the West of the country regarding the economic topics, mainly the ones about the rural-communal development, gender equity and environment, cruxes included in each project of the Program.
PHD. Juan Sebastián Chamorro, Director of MCA, said that “Millennium Challenge Account is aware that journalists are a very important and key sector in population. When it is invested to train and strength them, not only it is invested in one profession group, but also in the entire society”.
In the graduation activity, the Dean of the Political Science School of the Thomas More University, PHD. José Luis Velásquez, evaluated as positive the learning that journalists got in the course, as well as the achievements gotten by MCA in the West of Nicaragua to contribute to reduce poverty.
On behalf of the 22 journalists participating in the postgraduate course, Presidents of León and Chinandega Journalists Association, Bachelor Carol Munguía and Bachelor Luis Padilla, appreciated the support that MCA and the University gave to men and women journalists from this region of the country.
:: Opening of Juice and Cereal Company ::
Last week, young enterprising people from Chinandega inaugurated the company Processor of Nutritive Food Co. (PRALINSA) aimed to produce juice and cereals.
This new business has the support of Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), the Project “Young Future” from European Union, and the Mayor’s Office of Chinandega.
The owners appreciated the apt support from each of the entities mentioned above because sharing efforts permitted to install the new workshop and improve little by little the quality and variety of the products.
“Millennium Challenge Account provided company regarding legal advice to form the company. Through a consultant we are giving advice, so that they are able to have their accountant records, and advice about business strengthening. Previously we had given to them some equipment such as mills, a sealing machine and a stainless steel table”, said Bachelor Anabel García, Manager of the Non Agricultural conglomerate of MCA.
The Program also provides support regarding the paper work they have to do to get the brand and sanitarian registration for the three products: one kind of juice, multicereal and pinolillo; and regarding the elaboration of a Marketing Plan so that they identify the opportunities they have in the market. The support also includes improving the presentation of the product according to any situation, added García.
With the project “Young Future”, promoted by the Mayor´s Office of Chinandega with funds from the European Union, they got a credit of six thousand dollars used to buy raw material.
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New Premises of the
Millennium Challenge Account - Nicaragua
Radio Talk Show "Haciendo Negocios" (Making
Business)
Radio Dario (89.3 FM) and La
Guarachera (96.5 AM)
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Para más información visite: http://www.cuentadelmilenio.org.ni Directora Comunicaciones CRM: Judith Vanegas Redacción: Marianela Flores Colaboración: Anielka Pérez Diseño Gráfico: Karla Villarreal
Teléfono: (505) 2311 |
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