Why this Project is Important

Potential Long Term Impact

In total, TechnoServe assistance will result in $5.4 million of sales with full-time equivalent employment of 1,600 workers and $912,000 in wages paid.

Project Message

“My yields have doubled, I’ve paid off my loans and installed electricity. I’ve also bought another farm.”
- Modesto Reyes, Nicaraguan Coffee Farmer

Who is Running This Project

Contact

Jessica Joye,
Marketing Communications Coordinator
1800 M St. NW
Suite 1066 South Tower
Washington, DC 20036
United States
202-785-4515
Email:

Project Sponsor

TechnoServe

Organization

Learn more about TechnoServe and the project team.

TechnoServe's Current Projects on GlobalGiving

Promote Youth Entrepreneurship in Africa	Help Female Entrepreneurs in Peru Escape Poverty	Support Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Tanzania	Help Adolescent Girls (15-24) Develop Businesses
Help Kenyan Dairy Farmers Increase Their Income

Where this Project is Located

Country

This project is located in Nicaragua and can also be found under Economic Development.

For more information about Nicaragua, read the Human Development Report on Nicaragua or the Wikipedia entry for Nicaragua.

When this Project was Updated

Last Updated

This project was last updated on July 30, 2007.

Date Added to GlobalGiving

This project was added to the GlobalGiving project catalog on August 09, 2006.

Latest Update from the Field

Project update

By Reid Wilson - Development Coordinator, July 30, 2007 05:56 PM

Over the past year, TechnoServe Nicaragua has continued to support three farmer associations in the regions of Jinotega and Matagalpa, helping them to increase the quantity and quality of their production, capture more value-adding opportunities, consolidate their markets and become stronger institutions. TechnoServe provided the following assistance to the farmer associations:

•   Technical assistance: importation of improved seeds and linkages with suppliers of agricultural inputs, training in good agricultural and manufacturing practices to guarantee food safety; training in basic value added processing such as washing and packing to meet the needs of buyers; assistance in establishing accounting systems and other business records.
•   Financing: TechnoServe helped producer groups to access financing through third-party sources. Microfinance organizations such as World Relief (Asociacion Pueblo Accion Comunitaria), Fondo de Desarrollo Local (FDL), and Funjides, as well as agricultural supply companies like Ramac and Duwest provided credit to producer groups. TechnoServe assisted producers in negotiating terms of credit and structuring investment packages.
•   Sales and market linkages: TechnoServe worked with the farmer associations to identify and negotiate commercial relations and contracts with exporters, municipal markets, wholesalers, distributors and supermarkets. TechnoServe also provided market information on prices, volumes, competitors and other important data.

As a result of these efforts, productivity increased 20% while at the same time product quality has markedly improved. One of the assisted groups – Jorge Salazar - became the largest supplier of roots and tubers for export in the country. In 2006, the group exported 80 containers of roots and tubers to the U.S. and Puerto Rico. To continue serving this market and expand its supply, TechnoServe also helped the group acquire $50,000 for the construction of a collection and packaging plant that will create 80 new jobs, to be filled primarily by women.

Additionally, TechnoServe and farmers from the other two groups have carried out field trials to validate new varieties of seed potato from the U.S. and Canada. The results of these trials are enabling the farmers to register the varieties for import with the government authorities and then purchase quality seed stock with greater levels of productivity at better prices. Traditionally the farmers have used seed from Holland, with higher ocean freight costs. Four members from one of the potato cooperatives were invited by California-Oregon Seed, Inc., an important seed potato grower, to an event in the U.S. to share experiences. All of the costs were covered by the company and the farmers stayed in California for six days.

In 2006, the three assisted groups sourced product from 129 producers and had sales of $1.9 million. Of this amount, $828,500 was for the export market. Local sales, principally potatoes, were negotiated at very competitive prices and generated important profits for the farmers.

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