IICA provides support to strengthen agricultural research in Guatemala

The agreement was signed in Antigua by Sebastian Marcucci, Minister of the MAGA (left), and Keith L. Andrews, IICA’s Representative in Guatemala. Henry Schmick, Agricultural Adviser to the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala, (center) witness the agreement. Photo courtesy of MAGA.

Guatemala City, April 30, 2015 (IICA). An agreement signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAGA) of Guatemala and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) seeks to strengthen the agricultural and rural development of three regions in Guatemala, by improving agricultural research capacities.

The goal is to improve the productivity and profitability of 18 agricultural chains in the country’s Western highlands, cardamom-producing region, and Eastern dry corridor in order to respond to the needs of local stakeholders.

Those chains include corn, beans, potatoes, dual-purpose cattle, cardamom, vegetables, as well as deciduous and local fruits, among others.

This agreement is part of a larger one between the U.S. and Guatemalan governments to provide agricultural products under the Food for Progress project, an initiative led by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that promotes economic development through agricultural development.

By signing this agreement, Guatemalan authorities hope to strengthen the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (ICTA) and integrating it with regional university centers and the MAGA, to promote development in the aforementioned regions.

The agreement was signed in Antigua by Sebastian Marcucci, Minister of the MAGA, and Keith L. Andrews, IICA’s Representative in Guatemala. Henry Schmick, Agricultural Adviser to the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala, witness the agreement.

Marcucci stated that the initiative would strengthen the work of the National Extension System (SNER) of Guatemala, which, together with research, plays an essential role in the development of family agriculture and of surplus and commercial producers.

It is expected that through this agreement, the ICTA and universities will succeed in projecting themselves as trustworthy partners for receiving funding and national and international cooperation, thanks to the increased exposure and credibility of the research centers.

Más información:
jenny.canel@iica.int