"We are very happy with this award, we won it with the support of the Challenge Account, is an incentive to keep going and keep growing," declared producer Marlon José Rivera, chairman of the COPLOV.

Support at the Collection Centre of COPLOV

COPLOV is integrated by 118 members, 30 percent female, it has a plantain Collection Centre, where currently once a week, about 500 people working throughout the process to comply with the peeled plantain container to be send to Honduras in accordance with a commercial agreement with a company in that country.

The MCA has supported cooperatives by expanding the collection centre and plantain processing, providing technical assistance with better post-harvest processes, assisting them in accessing better markets which has allowed them to sell most of its production in good prices.

Additionally, the MCA has provided specialized assistance to the Collection Centre regarding the process of peeling and packing of fruit, therefore in compliance with all necessary sanitary and phytosanitary measures for export markets.

Cooperatives: COPLOV, La Esperanza and La Union are exporting more than 150 thousand pounds of peeled plantain to Dinant in Honduras. The MCA also helped the cooperatives to establish contacts with private and national banks, after which obtained financing for post-harvest to finance such exports.

The processor of meat cuts "Cosigüina" located in the municipality of El Viejo, Chinandega, prepares to search for new markets where they can offer its selected meat cuts. In August of last year, the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) approved a business plan to this company by which remodelling was done in the establishment to improve the quality of products and services.

Silvana Garcia owns the business and says that the purpose is to attract other market segments such as restaurants and hotels.

Through this Plan she has built a treatment system for wastewaters for which the MCA handed over through its livestock operations Techno Serve all construction materials, while the owner provided the labour.

She has also received a cash register equipment which she could use to keep track of sales and calculate the daily revenue. It also has received a freezer with capacity to store a thousand pounds of meat, a mill and a saw for cutting bone.

Garcia said they are implementing an accounting system. "So far we have only used the apron accounting” he said.

Other investments made by this small business is remodelling the floor of her office, cooling and processing areas, and remodelled the entry to the establishment by placing lateral stairs to facilitate the entry of senior citizens.

The processing of meat cuts is operating since 1995 supplying residents, stores and eateries in the area. Currently are working in the business five people and it sells a daily average equivalent to half a cow.

:: Processor transforms his plant ::

The manufacture of cheese, curd and cream is one of the main economic activities in Larreynaga, but many of its processors have done it for years with artisan’s techniques. Denis Paiz is one of the processors of the town benefiting from the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA).
 

This is the plant were until recently processed his cheese Denis Paiz.

For 20 years he has processed milk, and has recently shifted its business, received equipment by the program that allows him to introduce technology to the processing, such as tubs, tables and stainless steel straps and lire for cuts and cheese separators with a capacity of 250 litres per hour.

In such a way he is substituting plastic tubs and wooden straps which prevented him of assuring the safety of the products. Paiz was very pleased with the equipment he received because in this way he may offer better quality products.

Before he did not have a secure establishment to produce, "I have always rented houses to make my process work, but I decided to buy land and build my little plant, for the better development of my company which affects the welfare of my family," Paiz said, who can now install the equipment at the new plant that has 8 employees and currently processes 800 litres of milk a day and one thousand three hundred litres in winter.

Trainings

In addition to receiving the equipment, Paíz also has been able to diversify the production, including new developed products are: cream cheese and the moralique type. With the cream cheese which has six months producing, he managed to win the third place in the dairy contest held in November by the CRM.

Producers will implement this year's bean crop slopes in order to improve the soil fertility which has been lost and suffered erosion due to poor management.

In addition to planting beans of the variety Red Silk, it will be incorporated into the same parcel green fertilizers (Caupi, Terciopelo and Canabalia) and fruit trees on the contour lines and in the periphery.

The MCA through its Business Plans 2010-2011, ensured to producers bean plants of fruit specimens, inputs to ensure a safe and effective growth of plantations and technical assistance.

"The idea is to harvest the beans which have been the main object of these producers, but at the same time have a crop of sweet and sour oranges, lemons and green fertilizers which they could also market, likewise will to enrich their soil and in the medium term they will have a higher productivity, " declared the engineer Jairo Royal, an specialist for Chemonics, the agricultural operator for MCA, which promotes this initiative.

The cooperatives benefited from these actions are: Local Initiative (ILOs) of Santa Rosa del Peñon, La Danta from Somotillo and the Multi sectorial Cooperative of the Four Saints (COMUCSA).

The engineer Real explained that the majority of producers of beans planted on slopes or hills, and that plantations need some height to their development, but also need a good management to prevent erosion, so that the MCA has provided training and technical assistance incorporating a new production line to the specific agro-ecological farming communities which cultivates on hillsides. 

 

Events

:: Constitution of cooperatives strengthens local economy ::

Associativity of the groups involved in related activities is one of the actions promoted by the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) with the interest of strengthening agribusiness and small and medium companies which are betting to transform their production models with new technologies and insert into markets.
 

The producer Brenda Palacio from the Cooperativa RL ULDESA El Sauce, received certificates of participation in the 40 hours of cooperativism from the partners.

The focus of the CRM to these economic groups has been directed to support them in making decisions about the type of organization they want to conform, and on the efforts of legalization. To this end, the CRM services required specialists in associativity to provide accompaniment in the process.

Producers and entrepreneurs received training on the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of association that exist in Nicaragua, and once they were clear they chose the legal option by which they were legalized.

The MCA took over the costs of legalization procedures and registration of books. The total investment in the legalization program of the five cooperatives was 19 thousand dollars. The first five groups from Leon opted to form cooperatives. These are: Women's Services Cooperative of Palo de Lapa (COOSERMUPA RL), comprising 58 women devoted to the cultivation of the flower of Jamaica; Cooperative Multi Los Zarzales (COMULZAR RL), formed by 20 municipal partners of El Jicaral whom manage a milk collection centre promoted by the CRM.

Also it was formed the Multisector Cooperative Union of Agropequarian Dairy El Sauce (ULDESA RL), with 25 partners involved in various agricultural activities; Cooperativa Agroindustrial Services of Women Producers of Malpaisillo (COMUPROM RL), with 12 members whose line of work is the raising and slaughter of sheep and goats pelibuey and Agricultural Cooperative Production and Agro forestry Los Vargas, consisting of 12 community partners The Urroces whose activity is the production of charcoal from eucalyptus.

Full documentation

Cooperatives have their respective constitutions, their statutes, the profile of sustainability that includes a financial analysis to determine the profitability of the cooperative, as well as the cooperative official certification issued by the Institute of Cooperative INFOCOOP.

"Cooperativized the various groups they defined their objectives as an organization, which helps them to consider specific targets in time, most of which are developing new projects, access to financing, lower production costs, improve marketing of their products, among others and mainly have a business vision that allows them to earn a better income " declared Anabel Garcia, the Conglomerate Non-agricultural Manager of CRM.

In addition to supporting the associatively of these groups, the MCA also accompany other five groups of items which are in the process of conforming such as: two groups in La Paz Centro for the production of palm and construction of farm houses and producing based tiles and clay bricks, two groups dedicated to various agricultural activities in Larreynaga and a youth group dedicated to the provision of tourism services in Cosigüina.

It is important to mention that to this date have been legally formalized over 300 people in 15 groups.

:: Collection Centre with a business vision ::

Bean cooperatives benefiting from the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) as part of the process of consolidating its Collection Center are preparing their operating manuals and credit policies, says Mr. Oswaldo Moncada, of CRM.

The manuals and policies are being developed with the support of the MCA through the farm operator Chemonics; they are also being trained in the development of costs in order for producers to have tools that allow them to be self-sustaining.

The five cooperatives included in the business building process from this year shall administer a revolving loan fund to finance the production cycles of their partners for which warrant appropriate administrative rules.

Policies allow regulating and developing the modalities of funding while ensuring the restoration and protection of the new fund, which is essential in the productive development of cooperatives.

The loan fund was created with the payment made by partners of the inputs that cooperatives were given and which were donated by the MCA in order to capitalize on them.

Are being prepared to purchase inputs

Cooperatives of bean and sesame benefited by the MCA, held a meeting with agricultural inputs supply houses in order to know the different offers and explore possible agreements to finance purchase of inputs to the partners in the next crop season from 2010 to 2011.

They also had the opportunity to learn about the latest agricultural technology.

In addition to cooperative members of beans and sesame, representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAGFOR), the Nicaraguan Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) and the Cooperative "La Norteña" with which the producers who work with the MCA have an agreement for technical assistance in the item of sesame.

:: VI Somotillo´s Livestock Show ::

Somotillo producers are organizing their VI Livestock Show, which expects the participation of farmers from Villanueva, El Sauce, Leon, and other municipalities in the western region.

The Fair will be held from the 19 to 21 of February at Hegle disco. The organizing committee confirmed the participation of 17 farmers who will expose their herd, including: Odel Gutierrez and Rodolfo Quintana from Leon, Tulio Darce, Ariel Gallo from El Viejo, Chinandega, Sergio Escorcia Villanueva, Ramon Tercero and Agrecio Osejo of Somotillo among others.

The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), besides being a sponsor, ensures the participation of beneficiaries in the livestock program for qualifying for the purchase and sale of livestock that will be offered at the fair.

Participating dairy processors, which have been supported by the MCA through its Technoserve livestock operations, will now present their products with higher quality, hygiene and presentation.

Also this project is organizing two briefings, one on Traceability and the second on Bovine Milk marketing to high value markets.

Kale Morales, farmer and coordinator of the Fair during the event noted that in addition to exposing cattle breeds of meat and milk, it will also be exhibited different technologies such as solar panels, irrigation pumps, and grass choppers, including those to be offered by different commercial firms that will participate.

Last year it was managed the placement of one million 240 thousand Córdobas in loans by participating financial institution, for the purchase of livestock and machinery. Farmers sold 71 breeding heifers and11 sires and calves for development. For their part, participating commercial houses sold grinders and irrigation pumps.

For this Fair is confirmed the participation of two financial institutions, which grant a credit line exclusively for the livestock sector with preferential interest rates as a result of joint work of actors of the Livestock project that has been promoting the MCA.

Activities

In addition to the exhibition and sale of livestock, the VI Fair is a local festival, where every day is full of activities. On Friday it will be held the official opening of the fair. On Saturday night it will be conducted the election of the Queen of the fair, Sunday's parade will take place with the participation of more than 200 hors riders, there will be bullfights and dance parties during the three days of activities.