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Nicaragua
USAID - University Partnership Helps
Nicaraguan Farmers and a Growing U.S. Market
As Sancocho finds its way onto more and more U.S. menus,
a USAID – Michigan State University joint partnership
is putting Nicaraguans to work and helping meet a growing
market for plantains, one of the soup’s main ingredients.
![Before the project, neglected fields produced small yields and undersized plantains. (Photos by Jan Howard, USAID-Nicaragua)](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090509093455im_/http://www.usaid.gov/locations/latin_america_caribbean/country/images/nicaragua_plantain1.jpg) |
Before
the project, neglected fields produced small yields and
undersized plantains. (Photos by Jan Howard, USAID-Nicaragua) |
A staple throughout Latin America and Africa, plantains,
a starchy relative of the banana, are finding their way into
the hearts and dinner plates of hungry Americans. Amid this
growing demand, USAID has formed a partnership with the Midwest
university to increase production of plantains in Nicaragua.
Funded by USAID, the partnership provides management training
in modern agriculture techniques, and through Michigan State
University’s Partnership in Food Industry Development
Program, facilitates the entry of the plantains to new markets.
Development of niche agriculture has developed into an increasingly
successful USAID endeavor throughout the Latin America and
Caribbean region.
“Before the project, many of the plantain fields in
Nicaragua were neglected, producing small yields and underutilized
plantains,” said Steve Olive, USAID trade and agribusiness
office chief in Nicaragua. “As a result of the partnership,
we’re seeing higher standards, a more efficient crop,
and a promise of new growth opportunity among Nicaraguan farmers.”
The USAID-funded partnership initially helped 49 plantain
farmers in Nicaragua’s southern department of Rivas
to meet quality export standards through improved crop management
and processing. An estimated 20,000 hectares are currently
under cultivation with plantains in the region.
The project also supervised construction of a packing plant,
where trained personnel introduced quality and sanitation
control procedures. A second plant, financed by the project,
opened last November.
Nicaragua’s first container of Nicaraguan plantains
shipped to Miami through Tropical Commodities, a whole produce
distributor, last May. Since then more than 80,000 pounds
of Nicaraguan plantains are exported weekly to new markets
that include Miami, Tampa, Chicago, Houston, New York and
Washington, D.C.
![With technical and market assistance from USAID, a group of Nicaraguan farmers are producing plantains that meet international quality standards for export.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090509093455im_/http://www.usaid.gov/locations/latin_america_caribbean/country/images/nicaragua_plantain2.jpg) |
With
technical and market assistance from USAID, a group of
Nicaraguan farmers are producing plantains that meet international
quality standards for export. |
“Already the program has generated 200 new jobs,”
said Tomas Membreño, Nicaragua director of Michigan
State University’s Partnership for Food Industry Development
program. “As demand grows from the current 80,000 pounds
to an expected 160,000 pounds per week, the number of jobs
created by the partnership could reach 500.”
“The Latin America and the Caribbean regions’
seasons often complement the agricultural patterns of U.S.
farmers,” said Adolfo Franco, assistant administrator
for USAID’s Latin America and Caribbean bureau. “With
an estimated annual U.S. sales potential of 12 million pounds
of plantains, USAID is fueling new work opportunities in Nicaragua
and helping to position Central America farmers as a major
source for a growing appetite for Latin food products.”
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